


Keep Haunting Me

by LuciferaBlack



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-02 22:57:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16796359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciferaBlack/pseuds/LuciferaBlack
Summary: Liz knows Red is not her father, and she has vowed to destroy him, but when they're alone together, she has trouble maintaining her hatred and anger. She's haunted by feelings she had for him in the past, and their relationship takes a new turn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sarah_SHC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarah_SHC/gifts).



> Thanks to Sarah_SHC for the plot bunny about Lizzington after the end of Season 5. This is my first attempt at the plot bunny, but there may be more to come. It's extremely challenging to bring these characters together after that finale! I hope I'm doing it justice. 
> 
> I was also inspired by the song “Haunting” by Halsey: https://youtu.be/zE3A26x24HM  
> (There's nothing wrong with your sound or video; that's just how the song starts)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Blacklist or the characters; this is strictly for fan entertainment purposes.

Liz had been back at work for several days and she still found it difficult, especially interacting with Red. She didn’t want to be in the same room as him, but she needed to carry on like normal in order to find out more about him. A few months ago, she discovered that he was in fact not her father. Red had put her on a non-stop emotional rollercoaster since insinuating himself into her life. At first, she’d felt connected to him and thought he might be her father, but when she asked him, he denied it explicitly. When he denied it, Liz ended up feeling relieved, because she’d felt drawn to him; it made the tension between them easier to explain.

Despite Red telling her he wasn’t her father, he’d later somehow arranged for the DNA results to show that he _was_. Liz had been profoundly shocked to get the results, but she’d successfully managed to bury any non-platonic feelings for Red so that they could be dad and daughter. This had been yet another twist on the rollercoaster of manipulation; Red was pretending to be her father while he was in possession of her real father’s remains. 

Now, at this very moment, he was continuing to lie to her face. Liz wondered what kind of sick bastard Red really was, and _who_ he really was. She only realized her hands were clenched into fists when she felt pain from her fingernails digging into her palms. She looked down at the dents in her skin.

“I would love your input, if you’re up for it, Elizabeth.” Red said. 

Liz hadn’t taken in anything he said; she was too preoccupied. 

“…I’m not up for it at the moment, sorry. Will you excuse me?” She said. 

Liz swiftly escaped to the washroom, where she took some deep breaths and looked at her trembling hands. She wondered how Red managed to lie to her face so easily and expertly; he must be a complete psychopath. She envied his ability, come to think of it, because she was trying to pretend like she never found out the truth. She’d vowed to destroy Red and she wanted to be able to wait for the right moment; revenge was best served cold. It was proving extremely difficult, however, to act like nothing had changed. Liz looked at herself in the mirror and she could see the burning hatred in her own eyes; she wouldn’t be able to keep up this act for much longer. After a few more deep breaths, she had herself under control enough to return to the restaurant booth. 

“Are you alright?” Red asked. 

“Yep, thanks.” Liz said. 

Red eyed her and then smiled. Liz still found his smile charming, despite wanting to make him pay for everything he’d put her through: the lies, manipulation, wrecking her life, triggering events that led to Tom’s death, and for murdering her real father and stuffing him in a suitcase. 

Liz somehow managed to smile at him in return, and the way he gazed at her adoringly gave her some inspiration. Death would be too quick; the most pain she could cause him would involve spewing her hatred at him and disappearing from his life, denying him anything to do with her, including her forgiveness. She was his weakness. 

“So, what were you saying?” Liz asked. 

“Oh, it wasn’t very important. Let’s just relax and enjoy the coffee.” Red replied. 

Liz nodded slowly. 

“Okay...yeah, it’s good coffee…” She said. 

“Yes. Is there something on your mind, Lizzie?” He asked, studying her. 

Liz mustered up all her inner strength to be able to lie to his face as well as he lied to her. 

“Not really, I’m just a bit tired.” She said. 

Red surveyed her skeptically. Apparently, she just wasn’t psychopathic enough to pull it off; if she were actually his daughter, she probably would have inherited the ability. 

“Come now, Lizzie, you can tell your dad what’s wrong.” He said, leaning back and winking at her. 

Liz felt her eye twitch and she wanted to smash her coffee cup and use it to slit his throat. Instead, she just laughed. 

“Okay…Truth is, I can’t really concentrate today. I slept like crap. When you were talking, I _completely_ tuned you out. No offense.” She said. 

“None taken. It was boring.” He said, smirking. 

Red leaned forward and gently put his hand over hers on the table. Liz was startled and she met his eyes again. 

“I’m sorry you had such a bad night, sweetheart. Perhaps you could use a massage or something.” He said. 

This made Liz feel weird, so she gently pulled her hand away and leaned back. 

“Yeah, maybe.” She said vaguely. 

Red noticed Lizzie began looking flushed; she was acting a bit off. They stared at each other for several moments. 

“Why don’t we go to my safe house. I’ll give you a nice shoulder massage and then you can have a nap.” He said. 

“ _No_.” She replied a little too abruptly. 

“…Thanks anyway, Red…I’ll be fine.” She added. 

Red noticed Lizzie was still blushing and avoiding eye contact; he wondered what the problem was. 

“If you’re feeling anxious, that’s completely understandable.” He said.

“What do you mean?” She said. 

“You don’t look very well, and if it’s anxiety or panic…that’s normal for everything you’ve been through.” He said. 

Liz wanted to remind him that everything she’d been through was his fault.

“Um, no I’m okay…can we please talk about something else?” She said, feeling uncomfortable.

“…Lizzie, I’m taking you to my safe house. No arguments, please. I insist.” He said. 

Liz realized she was feeling frazzled and starting to lose control of her emotions. She wanted to regain her composure and continue acting normally, so she nodded. 

“Okay. I give in.” She said, with a fake smile. 

Red smiled and left cash for the server, then he escorted Lizzie to the waiting car. They both got into the backseat and the driver started in the direction of the safe house. 

Liz felt Red’s hand take hold of hers again and her heart began pounding. She briefly glanced at him, but then she carried on looking out the window. 

“I’ll get you feeling right as rain, Lizzie.” He said. 

Liz felt weird again, but she didn’t pull her hand away this time; she didn’t want to arouse suspicion that something was wrong, or at least that’s what she told herself. She didn’t acknowledge the fact that his warm hand felt a little comforting. They were quiet the rest of the way, then Liz felt nervous as the car pulled up to the safe house. She didn’t want to be alone with Red; what if she snapped and ruined her chances of finding out more about who he really was? 

They got out of the car and Red let them indoors; he closed and locked the door behind them. Liz hovered in the foyer, still reluctant about being there with him. Red eyed her and then he smiled. 

“Make yourself at home. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” He said. 

Liz felt his hand on the small of her back, gently ushering her further into the house, and she felt uncomfortable. 

“I’m good.” She said curtly. 

“Have a seat here and just try to relax.” He said. 

Liz sat on a settee and she realized she actually did need to relax, so she took a few deep breaths. 

“That’s it.” He said encouragingly. 

Red felt bad for Lizzie; she was so tense and anxious. He approached her from behind and gently put his hands on her shoulders, and she jumped. 

Liz felt his hands on her and she recoiled with hatred.

“Sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Red said. 

Liz clenched her jaw.

“It’s okay.” She said. 

Really, it wasn’t okay; she wanted to be very far away from Red, not alone with him while he massaged her. She suddenly felt his warm hands squeezing her tightly knotted muscles, and it felt amazing. Liz sighed involuntarily and closed her eyes. 

“You are so tight, Lizzie…” Red said, noting the knots. 

Liz began blushing and her stomach did a funny little flip as he said that. She thought it sounded strangely sexual. She mentally scolded herself for having her mind in the gutter, but then she wondered about Red: _Who says that kind of thing to his daughter anyway? Maybe he’s not such a good liar after all; he’s not making the most convincing father_. Red was enjoying this opportunity to be close to Lizzie and do something for her, and he smirked slightly as she started relaxing a little bit. 

Liz felt Red deftly loosening all her knotted muscles and she almost forgot herself in the relaxation. She tried to hold onto her anger. 

“Am I being too rough?” Red asked, feeling Lizzie tensing up again. 

Liz sighed very quietly; _why does everything sound like a sexual innuendo?_ She wondered.

“No…it feels good, Red, please keep going.” She said. 

Liz felt like kicking herself for asking him to continue and for inadvertently joining in with the sexual innuendos. 

“Alright, Lizzie.” He said softly. 

Liz decided that she couldn’t be enraged and relaxed at the same time, so she would relax for now and then rebuild her anger later. 

Red carried on with the massage and moved further down Lizzie’s back. The back of the settee was getting in the way; he paused and then moved around to the front of the settee to sit with her. 

“Turn that way, so I can do the rest of your back.” He said.

Liz was about to refuse, but her muscles were actually craving the attention; she also wanted to act normally. She silently turned and faced away from him so he could continue. She told herself she was just using him to help her relax and then she would get back to hating him. 

“I can feel you loosening up…that’s better.” He said. 

Liz felt warm and flushed again. 

“Yeah.” She said very quietly. 

Red moved his hands to Lizzie’s lower back and used his thumbs to firmly press on either side of her spine. She arched her back and jumped a little. He was amused, and wanted to see if it would happen again, so he repeated the motion. She jumped again. 

“I didn’t know you were ticklish, Lizzie…” He said, smiling. 

Liz felt annoyed. 

“I’m not. It’s just a reflex thing.” She said irritatedly. 

“Do you like it when I touch that spot, or is it too sensitive?” He asked. 

Liz wondered if Red knew how these things sounded; surely he must know he’s making innuendos left and right. 

“I like it, just…be gentle…” She said, once again unwittingly using innuendos. She was mentally kicking herself very hard. 

Liz felt Red’s hands press more lightly on her lower back and it felt good—good in a not-so-platonic way—causing her to shift slightly in her seat. Red held her sides, almost at her hips, and ran his thumbs down to the waistband of her skinny jeans. He rubbed along the waistband, allowing his thumbs to subtly touch her bare skin under the bottom of her shirt. He noticed Lizzie arched her back a little bit. She seemed to like it, so he carefully, gently put his thumbs under her shirt and repeated the movements. 

“Does that feel good?” Red asked. 

Liz wanted to tell Red to go to hell, but it felt good, and there wasn’t much point in denying it. 

“Yes.” She found herself saying. 

Liz also found herself feeling slightly aroused, and she hated herself for it. She tried to dismiss it as her body’s automatic reaction to having a man massage her. 

Red very lightly stroked her skin with his fingers, but she tensed up, so he moved his hands away from Lizzie’s back and started massaging her neck. Her head drooped relaxedly and she moaned quietly, which delighted him. 

“You really needed this, Lizzie…” Red said. 

“…Yeah…thanks.” Liz said begrudgingly. 

“Any time. You can come to me whenever you need a massage. I enjoy pampering you.” He said. 

Liz thought once again about how weird and inappropriate this would be if they were truly father and daughter. Red finished the massage, but Lizzie didn’t turn around for a while. 

“What’s wrong, Lizzie?” He asked. 

Liz decided to try and call his bluff. She finally turned to face him.

“This. We shouldn’t be doing stuff like this…you’re my _dad_ , Red.” She said convincingly. 

“…I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, Lizzie.” He said, just as convincingly. 

They stared at each other and appeared to reach a stalemate. Neither of them knew what to do at this point. 

“Well, how about you go have a nap now.” Red said, breaking the tense silence. 

Liz felt how truly exhausted she was and she was too tired to argue. She nodded and watched Red get up. She stood and followed him to a guest bedroom. They stood near the bed. 

“Sorry I don’t have any pyjamas for you to wear.” Red said. 

“It’s fine.” She said tensely. 

Red pulled the blankets down. 

“Here…get in, Lizzie.” He said softly. 

Liz hesitated for a moment, then she begrudgingly got into the bed. She watched him as he pulled the blankets up over her, tucking her in. She stopped breathing for a moment when he kissed her temple; his lips lingered there for a split second too long. He stood back and smiled. 

“Have a nice nap, sweetheart.” He said, then he left the room and closed the door for her. 

Liz felt her heart pounding again and she started blushing. Red’s lips had felt nice, and she hated him for it; she also hated herself for enjoying it. She rubbed her temple, trying to wipe away the memory of his kiss, but it didn’t work. Liz sighed heavily and curled up on her side; she could still smell his cologne and feel his soft lips on her temple, haunting her. She had flashbacks of various sweet, tender and intimate moments she’d shared with Red over the course of their relationship. Liz tried to shut them out but they just came back stronger. She curled up into a fetal position and pulled the blankets over her head, seeking comfort. She eventually fell into a fitful sleep with horrible nightmares. 

Red was sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper, when he heard Lizzie cry out. He was alarmed and he went into the guest bedroom to find her tossing and turning anxiously. She was crying in her sleep. He put his hands on her arms and gently shook her. 

“Lizzie…wake up.” He said. 

Red gently shook her again and she opened her eyes and gasped. She looked terrified of him, so he let go. 

“…You were having some kind of night terror.” He said. 

Liz noticed she was a bit sweaty and she had tears on her face. She breathed heavily and wiped the tears away. She moved away from Red and sat up in the bed. He looked genuinely concerned. 

“…I told you I slept like crap last night. Well, I sleep like crap every night.” She said bitterly. 

Red frowned slightly. 

“I’m sorry.” He said. 

“…What for?” She asked. 

“I wish I could help you.” He said. 

Liz just gave him a curt nod. 

“You’ve been through _so_ much…it’s unfathomable…” Red said. 

He said it with such compassion and sincerity in his voice that Liz felt her heartstrings being pulled; she told herself it was all fake, he was just manipulating her again. Her frustration suddenly overwhelmed her and she began crying. She felt so alone after losing Tom and everything that had happened; she didn’t even have Red anymore, who had become her confidante. 

“Oh, Lizzie.” Red said softly, going over to her. 

Liz found herself being embraced by Red as he sat on the bed with her. She wanted to just push him away, but she somehow actually found it comforting. She gave in and put her face against his chest as he held her. Liz smelled his cologne again and felt his warmth and how tightly he held her; she almost forgot she hated him. Red was certainly the most manipulative, charismatic individual she’d ever met. He was dangerously persuasive and convincing; he could make anyone believe anything. 

Liz reluctantly pulled away, then their faces were close together, so she looked into his green eyes. She paused for a moment, feeling a little hypnotized, then she looked away. She sniffled and reached for some tissues from the box on the nightstand. Liz dabbed the tears from her eyes and then blew her nose. She looked at Red again and he was just watching her carefully. She sighed and stared at the bed. 

“Let me hold you again…” Red said quietly. 

Liz looked at him and tried not to glare too much. 

“You seemed to find it comforting…” He added. 

Part of Liz missed Red and the way things were a long time ago, before he pretended to be her father. They’d become close like friends, in their own way, and she’d been attracted to him, although she’d barely even admitted that to herself. Liz had felt attached to Red and loved all the attention he gave her; she’d gotten possessive of him. She looked at him now, feeling nostalgic, angry, hurt, and confused. She found herself moving closer to him again. Liz told herself she would just use him to get some comfort, nothing more; letting him embrace her wouldn’t mean she forgave him. 

“There, that’s better, isn’t it sweetheart?” Red said, with his arms around her. 

Liz stayed silent, but she did find his embrace somewhat soothing. She kept trying to remind herself that she hated him. She wanted to keep her anger and hatred alive, so she thought about Tom, all the lies Red told her, how he’d deceived Jennifer, too. Then she felt Red pull her a little closer to him and her face automatically nuzzled into his neck without her meaning to; she started blushing and backed away. 

Red looked at Lizzie and she was flushed; he studied her expression and he thought she looked embarrassed and flustered, but there was something else in her eyes. He stared into her dazzling blue eyes, wanting to decipher the emotion inside them. 

Liz felt like Red’s eyes were going straight through to her soul and she became unnerved. She looked down at the bed and swallowed hard. Her stomach seemed to erupt with butterflies and she fidgeted with the blanket. 

“…Are you feeling better, Lizzie?” Red asked gently. 

Liz just nodded sulkily and carried on staring down at the bed. She could smell his cologne, which seemed to have rubbed off onto her face, so she couldn’t get away from it. It smelled wonderful, and she resented that. Liz wanted to carry on hating everything about him, including his stupid sexy cologne. She risked looking up at him. Red resumed gazing into her eyes. 

“Can I get you anything?” Red asked. 

“No. Thanks.” Liz said. 

She broke eye contact and she was still blushing lightly. The more Red watched her, the more he was able to read her; he figured out the mysterious emotion expressed in her eyes. The answer turned out to be puzzling, but he was pleased at the same time. 

“Lizzie…” Red said quietly. 

She reluctantly met his gaze, and her eyes confirmed Red’s suspicions. He moved closer to her and put his hand over hers. 

Liz was looking down again when suddenly their faces were close. She was stunned for a moment and she allowed Red’s lips to brush against hers; it felt electrifying, but then she came to her senses. She gasped and quickly backed away. 

“What are you doing?!” She asked. 

Liz was shocked; this was wrong on so many levels, it was mind-boggling. 

Red studied her carefully. 

“…We both know I’m not your father, Elizabeth.” He said. 

Liz gaped at him; why was he admitting it now? And how did he know that she knew?

“We also both know that your feelings for me run very deep…” He said. 

Liz’s heart pounded and she blushed again as she glared at him. She eventually regained the ability to speak. 

“ _Feelings_?! I think you mean _hatred_.” She said venomously. 

“That, and other feelings.” He said. 

Liz was astounded for a few more moments, but then she got up to leave. 

“I didn’t kill your father.” Red said. 

Liz stopped dead in her tracks. 

“He died…and it was decided that I would assume his identity. I had to.” Red said. 

Liz felt shaky and a little faint, but she slowly turned around to look at Red again. 

“It was decided? Who decided? How did he die?” She asked. 

“…I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, but I can assure you, I did not take his life, only his identity.” He said. 

“…I am so sick of this, Red. The lies, the half-truths, the manipulation. I can’t take it anymore.” She said, starting to cry. 

Red stood up slowly and he very carefully, slowly approached her. Lizzie let him get pretty close, about a foot away, but then she tensed and backed away, so he stayed still. 

“The part I told you is true, but I can’t tell you anymore than that.” He said. 

“No…” She complained, “You have to tell me why you made me believe I was your daughter.” 

Red stared at her for a few moments. 

“It was a necessary part of assuming your father’s identity…and…” He began. 

Liz watched him expectantly, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. 

“I must admit that it was nice to be a father again, even for a little while…” He said sadly. 

Liz saw and heard genuine, raw pain from Red and she was astonished. There was something that rang true about it, and she wondered if she could believe him. She noticed Red’s eyes looked misty and her heart sank. Liz was not only sad for Red but she was upset that she was easily falling for him yet again. She became overwhelmed, sobbed and sat down on the floor, putting her hands over her face. She heard Red stepping closer, but she craved comfort, so she let him approach her. 

Red crouched down and gently took hold of Lizzie, then he helped her up from the floor. 

“Come here.” He said softly, ushering her over to the bed. 

Liz sat down on the bed and looked at Red through her tears. His expression was stoic again and she wondered whether his sadness had been real or fake; it was possible that it was real and he was just good at burying it. She realized she was trying to rationalize her feelings for him and she got mad at herself for being so stupid. Red held out the box of tissues and she reluctantly took some. He put it back on the nightstand and watched Lizzie for a few moments. She appeared to be calming down, so he sat down on the bed. 

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” Red asked. 

“No. I hate you.” Liz said, but not quite wholeheartedly. 

Red nodded slowly. 

“I know.” He said. 

Liz looked at him. 

“How did you know I knew the truth?” She asked. 

“I _suspected_ you did, and then when I gave you that massage, that confirmed it. You wouldn’t let your father give you such an intimate massage…nor would you let him try to kiss you on the lips in the bedroom.” He said. 

Liz blushed as Red reminded her of how incompetent she was when it came to lying and keeping secrets—compared to him, anyway. He was the master and she was the novice. She was pissed off, but what he said almost sounded comical. She glanced at Red and he was very slightly smirking. She tried to contain it, but she let out a brief chuckle and smiled for a second. 

“You’re right.” She said. 

Red smirked. 

“But I still hate you.” She added. 

“I know.” He said. 

Red had accepted that, but he knew Lizzie still had other, nicer feelings for him, deep down. 

“Lizzie.” He said gently. 

She refused to look at him, but she stayed quiet and listened.

“…I don’t _want_ to hurt you…everything I’ve done to you…has been a consequence, a side effect, of what I have to do. I know that doesn’t make it any better, but I just wanted you to understand that I don’t hurt you intentionally. I have no ill will towards you, Elizabeth. Quite the opposite. I want nothing but the best for you and I love having you in my life. I apologize for my actions and for the pain I have caused you.” Red said. 

Liz was gobsmacked; this was the first time Red had given her anything resembling a sincere apology for the things he’s done to her. She was speechless. Liz tried to gather up her hatred for Red again but it had almost completely fallen away. She desperately clung to her leftover anger. 

“How am I supposed to believe anything you say?” Liz asked bitterly.

Red gave her a sad smile. 

“I don’t have the answer to that, I’m afraid.” He said. 

They stared at each other for several moments as Liz’s mind reeled. 

“Why did you try to kiss me?” She asked. 

“…Why do you think I tried to kiss you?” He deflected. 

“I dunno…to manipulate me.” She said. 

Red sighed quietly in disappointment. 

“I wanted to kiss you because you are…so beautiful and so precious to me…and I know you have feelings for me other than hatred.” He said. 

Liz was reminded of how she was attracted to Red before he pretended to be her father. It was true she had other feelings for him, but she just didn’t want to admit it. She stayed silent and looked at the floor. 

“I think that when you got the DNA results about me being your father…you were a little disappointed at first…” Red said. 

Liz was embarrassed that he’d managed to pick up on that. She felt like an open book to him. She still didn’t say anything, but she finally looked at him. 

“You distanced yourself from me for a while, and you had to try and…reframe our relationship.” He added. 

“Yeah, well, it was a shock.” She said defensively. 

“I realize that, but I think you had to reframe our relationship so that you wouldn’t feel dirty…” He said. 

Liz looked away again and almost rolled her eyes. She didn’t know why she was still sitting here, subjecting herself to this—even if it was true. 

“This isn’t just about me. You changed, too. Why did you start off saying you weren’t my father? Why did you get close to me and sometimes flirt with me, if you were supposed to be assuming my father’s identity the whole time?” She said. 

“All I can say is that I didn’t need to assume his identity to that extent until recently. When I needed to do so, I had the DNA results produced.” He said. 

“I wonder what it would be like to get a straight answer from you, just once in my lifetime.” She said coldly. 

“I have my reasons, Elizabeth, including self-preservation. You can’t fault me for that.” He said. 

“Why not?” She asked sardonically.

“Because you would do the same if you were me.” He said. 

Liz studied Red and once again, there was something that rang true. Perhaps she would do the same, she didn’t know; she backed down a little. Besides, she was feeling too exhausted to keep this up. She sighed tiredly and rubbed her face with her hands. 

“I’m so exhausted.” She said weakly. 

“Lie down and rest.” Red said. 

Liz gave him a moody look, but then she got comfy on the bed again. She closed her eyes and almost immediately dozed off, but she caught herself and opened her eyes again. 

“I’m still here, sweetheart.” Red said gently. 

“…That’s what I was afraid of.” She said dryly, but she was past the point of caring whether he stayed or not; she closed her heavy eyelids again and fell asleep. 

Red smirked slightly and watched Lizzie doze off. 

(To Be Continued…)


	2. Chapter 2

Liz had no dreams; she had a solid sleep for once. She slowly came to awareness, bit by bit. First, she noticed she was laying against a person, then she felt the soft fabric of clothing under her hand, then she noticed her cheek was pressed against the person. She smelled Red’s cologne and her eyes flew open. Liz pulled away feeling embarrassed. She realized Red was just waking up, too. He looked tiredly at her and sat up.

“Sorry, Lizzie. I was feeling worn out too.” Red said. 

“…It’s okay…I think you helped me sleep better, actually.” Liz admitted. 

Red was surprised. 

“Oh.” He said, scrutinizing her carefully. 

He wondered if he should get off the bed or stay. They just stared at each other and he noticed that Lizzie’s expression seemed to soften a little, and there was that look in her eyes again. Liz was looking at Red and seeing the man she used to feel close to; the one who would do anything for her, the one who saved her life, helped and comforted her. She felt extremely conflicted as well as weak-willed; she was mad at herself for not being able to follow through with her plot for revenge. She was letting herself, Tom, Jennifer, and her father down, but she just couldn’t seem to help herself when it came to Red. Every time he did something horrible to her, she ended up forgiving him and getting close to him again. 

“Would you like me to leave, Lizzie?” Red asked gently. 

“…No…Just sit with me.” Liz said cautiously, not wanting to give him the wrong impression. 

“…Alright.” He said quietly. 

They looked at each other some more, then Liz looked away. She rubbed her face with her hand and noticed his lovely scent again; she seemed to be getting it all over her. She sighed. 

“Are you okay?” Red asked. 

“Not really.” Liz said. 

“It would be better if I leave you to rest…please make yourself at home here.” He said, getting up. 

Red went to the doorway. 

“Wait.” Liz said. 

She watched Red turn around and she felt nervous and embarrassed. 

“Um…I…find you comforting. Despite…hating you…” She said awkwardly. 

Red was puzzled, but a little flattered; he approached the bed again. 

“What do you want from me, Elizabeth? Tell me, and I’ll do it.” He said. 

Liz blushed lightly and glanced away from his eyes. 

“I dunno…” She said. 

Red carefully sat down beside her on the bed. He was hopeful that he could smooth things over with Lizzie and gain her trust again. He wanted to at least try; he couldn’t stand having her hate him. 

“…I’m not the monster you think I am. I have done some truly awful things, but there has been…justification for them. You can’t know what that justification is, but it exists.” He said. 

Liz studied him and found herself believing him. She sighed and lightly massaged the bridge of her nose, between her eyes to ease the tension and frustration she felt. She suddenly felt Red’s hand on her back. Her first instinct was to be soothed, then she remembered to recoil. He took his hand away. She looked at him and felt a little bad for recoiling from his touch. They gazed into each other’s eyes and Liz thought she saw remorse in his captivating green eyes. Perhaps it was real, or he was just masterful at mimicking real emotions, but either way, she felt him tugging at her heart. 

“Red…” She said quietly. 

He watched her expectantly. 

“…Who are you really?” She asked. 

Red was disappointed; he thought they’d been making progress. 

“I can’t…” He said apologetically. 

“Right. Well, I better go.” She said, standing up. 

Red was desperate for Lizzie to stay. 

“I’m someone who cares very deeply for you. I would do anything for you.” He said. 

“…Anything except tell the truth.” She said bitterly. 

Red was becoming frustrated. 

“People can’t always be open and honest, Elizabeth. There are some things in life that are more important than that…things worth keeping secret, or lying for.” He said defensively. 

Liz was a little startled by his defensive, passionate tone and she watched raptly as Red stood up and got closer to her. She felt a little foolish; she supposed that was true, but she couldn’t imagine having a secret worth all the deception and destruction Red had created. She couldn’t even keep her hatred for him a secret for very long; he must have an extraordinary ability to keep secrets and stick to his convictions. Liz found herself almost admiring him. 

“Sorry, I just…” She began. 

“Don’t apologize. You have every right to be frustrated with me, and I understand it. I’m just explaining why I can’t tell you what you want to know.” He said. 

Liz gave a subtle nod and then looked down at the floor; Red moved closer to her and then she looked at him again. 

“Lizzie, I miss the way things used to be.” Red said earnestly. 

“…I do too.” Liz admitted. 

“We made a good team.” He said. 

Liz gave him a small smile and nodded again. 

“And we grew so close, like friends…it was wonderful.” He said. 

Liz’s eyes became misty and she nodded in response. 

“For a while there, I thought perhaps there could be something more between us…” He said, carefully studying her face. 

Liz felt warm and she blushed a little; she didn’t respond. 

“The way you would look at me sometimes…as if you wanted me…” He said. 

“I did…” She said very quietly. 

Red was surprised. 

“…want you. But then you ended up supposedly being my father. I had to deny those feelings for you…I almost managed to forget them completely, but not quite. When I found out you weren’t my dad, I felt strong hatred towards you for lying and tricking me, but you’re right…there were still other feelings.” She confessed. 

Red took a calculated risk and gently put his hands on Lizzie’s upper arms; her eyes flew back to his and she held his gaze, almost glaring, but she didn’t pull away. There was a very long pause and Liz swallowed hard. 

“…And now?” Red asked. 

Liz had tears welling up as she hated herself for still wanting him. 

“…They’re still there…the feelings. I can’t get rid of them…” She said frustratedly. 

Red sadly watched some tears escape and trail down Lizzie’s cheeks; he gently cupped her face in his hands and delicately wiped the tears away with his thumbs. She let out a shaky, exhausted sigh as if she were finally surrendering. 

Liz was transfixed as Red moved closer and brought his mouth close to hers; their lips touched very lightly, then he pulled back to gauge her response. She stayed still, so he softly pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. It felt so good to both of them, but Liz was still trying to resist. After they kissed for a few moments, she pulled back and looked at him. They looked at each other and Red took his hands away from her face. Liz was reeling from the gentle, romantic kiss and she realized how wonderful it felt.

Liz couldn’t stop herself from wanting another kiss from him. She stepped closer and timidly put her hands on his suit jacket collar. They studied each other very carefully as Liz leaned closer, then their lips met again, so lightly it was almost imperceptible. She brushed her lips over his. 

Red was thrilled and amazed that Lizzie wanted another kiss from him; she seemed to be experimenting with the feeling of kissing him and it was so sweet. She timidly pressed into a full kiss and Red let her guide the intensity; he stayed still until he felt her lips part slightly, then he gently deepened the kiss. It became more of an open-mouthed kiss and then he delicately slid his tongue between her lips. He thought she might back away, but she didn’t; she made a very quiet whimpering sound and met his tongue with hers. 

Liz was trembling all over and she felt weak in the knees as she kissed Red; her emotions and thoughts were all over the place, not to mention her body was reacting to him. She was still wishing she could resist, but she also felt very attracted to him. She felt powerless when it came to Red, especially now that she was under the spell of his kiss; it was better than she ever imagined. Liz felt Red’s hands gently touch her back and she let him pull her a little closer as they kissed. They paused to catch their breath and they looked at each other. Liz was still feeling conflicted but she was strongly leaning towards putting aside her anger and continuing on like this. 

Red watched Lizzie and she was breathing heavily and gazing into his eyes. She looked a little flushed and he could feel her hands quivering lightly on his chest. He wasn’t completely certain of the effect he was having on her, but she seemed to be getting aroused. He brought his lips to hers again and hovered there, testing her; she kissed him, so he was encouraged. They kissed passionately and Red slowly rubbed Lizzie’s back. He was pleased when he felt her move her hands from his collar and put them on his shirt so that she could feel him a little better. She hesitantly explored his chest as they continued kissing, and he found it adorable. They looked at each other again. 

“Red…” Liz began. 

“…Yes, Lizzie…” Red said softly. 

She blushed and got very shy. 

“Can we…get on the bed?” She asked. 

“Of course. Whatever you want.” He said. 

Red watched Lizzie sit on the bed and nervously look up at him; he sat down next to her and she was fidgeting a little bit.

“Elizabeth…we don’t have to go any further if you don’t want to. I understand you’re feeling conflicted and you’re vulnerable. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, or make things worse for you.” He said. 

“…I want to.” She said, surprising both of them. 

Liz couldn’t believe she’d just said that, but it was true. 

Red was astonished; he’d been expecting her to back out and leave. They gazed into each other’s eyes and Lizzie looked like she was longing for him. He hesitantly reached toward her and put his hand on her cheek. Lizzie closed her eyes and leaned into his touch; her eyelids fluttered slightly and a tear ran down her cheek, into his hand. 

“Oh, sweetheart…” Red said tenderly. 

Liz opened her teary eyes and looked at Red. She put her hand over his and held it against her cheek.

“I tried so hard to hate you, to blame you for everything…I can’t do it.” Liz said, feeling like a failure. 

Red lightly caressed her cheek and leaned closer to her. He was very surprised when Lizzie took his hand away from her cheek and put it on her thigh; she leaned towards him and kissed him. Her lips lingered as she waited for him to respond. He regained his senses and started returning her kiss. Red gently touched the side of Lizzie’s face and softly petted her hair for a moment. He heard her quietly hum her pleasure and he pressed his mouth to hers more firmly, kissing her ardently. Liz still couldn’t really believe she was doing this, but she was enthralled by Red’s passionate kisses. She was almost breathless and she felt the warm pleasurable tension of arousal building between her legs and in her lower abdomen. 

Red gently pulled away and they gazed at each other. Liz blushed as she wondered if he wanted to make love now; she certainly wanted to at this point. She wasn’t sure if she should start taking her clothes off or not. He noticed she was looking lustfully at him but she was being shy. 

“Do you…want to go further, Lizzie?” Red asked. 

Liz gave him a small nod. 

“Yes.” She said quietly. 

“…Are you certain?” He asked. 

“Yes.” She said. 

Although Liz felt ashamed of herself for desiring the man she’d vowed to destroy, she was ready to consummate her relationship with Red—the Red she’d come to love. Her attraction to him and feelings for him were back with full force and she decided to finally stop resisting. 

Liz hesitated for a moment, then she lifted her shirt up over her head and took it off. She gently tossed it onto the floor near the bed. Red was pleasantly astounded; he slightly gaped at her and took in her beautiful cleavage and dark blue satin bra. He noticed Lizzie was looking at him expectantly, so he took his suit jacket off and started unbuttoning his shirt. She then undid her bra and slowly took it off; she nervously held it in her lap for a few moments and she blushed, then she tossed it to join her top on the floor.

Red felt himself get harder as he adoringly surveyed Lizzie’s bare breasts. Liz was pleased with the way he was looking at her. She watched him take his shirt off and then his undershirt; he seemed a little vulnerable and self-conscious, which surprised her. She leaned closer, put her hands on his chest and kissed him. Liz gently caressed Red’s chest and enjoyed how warm he felt. They kept kissing and he put his hands on her bare back.

It was thrilling to be touching each other in such an intimate way. They stopped kissing and looked lustfully at each other; Liz stood up, took her socks off and then slowly pulled down her jeans. Red watched her, but then he stood up and undid his belt. He undid his trousers as Lizzie stood there in her panties, blushing and watching him. He took his trousers and socks off, then they paused. Liz felt very nervous and her stomach started filling with butterflies. 

Red noticed that Lizzie was breathing rapidly and looking tense. He wanted to put her at ease, so he slowly moved forward and brought his lips close to hers as his hands lightly touched her shoulders. He kissed her lovely pout and she whimpered very quietly. Red ran his hands down Lizzie’s arms and back up as they kissed, then he put his hands over her breasts. She sighed softly and put her hands on his, subtly encouraging him to caress her. He gently massaged her breasts and rubbed her nipples, and she breathed more heavily. Liz put her hand on Red’s cheek and enjoyed running her fingertips over his smooth, clean-shaven skin. 

As they kissed and touched each other, Liz was beginning to feel more aroused than nervous; she pulled back and lustfully looked down at the front of Red’s boxers, which stood out. She was ready to take the next step, so she pulled her panties down and stepped out of them. Red seemed to worship her with his eyes for a few moments, then he took the hint and pulled down his boxers. Liz blushed and she gaped slightly as she looked at his erection. Red smirked ever so slightly at Lizzie’s response, then he stepped out of his boxers and slowly moved closer to her. 

Liz felt herself becoming wet as Red gently pulled her a little closer to him. She brought her body close as they began kissing and she was thrilled to feel his warm, silky smooth erection against her abdomen. She whimpered in excitement and wrapped her arms around his neck. Red felt Lizzie’s breasts press against him and he was immensely turned on. He rubbed her back and then lightly held her hips. He pulled her lower body closer and she moaned softly. 

Liz wished she could feel Red’s erection between her legs, where she was craving him. She pushed against him, trying to gain satisfaction, but their position wouldn’t allow it. He felt her nudge against him and it was adorable; he released her from his grip and his kiss so that she would be able to get on the bed. Red was very pleased when Lizzie did exactly that; she crawled onto the bed and then reclined on her back, propped on her elbows to watch him. 

Liz watched raptly as Red joined her on the bed; she felt nervous again and she was still having trouble believing she was actually doing this with him. Despite her nerves and disbelief, she was excited and her body craved him, so she opened her legs and gave him a seductive look. Red lustfully looked down between her legs and then he took her invitation and hovered overtop of her as she lay back. He kissed her very softly, which Liz found soothing. She relaxed under him and caressed his arms. She then moaned as she felt his erection lightly touch her sensitive, moist flesh for the first time. Red gently rubbed himself along Lizzie’s delicate folds and he sighed quietly with pleasure. He lowered himself so that he could firmly rub against her clit and he felt her thighs trembling. 

“Does that feel good, sweetheart?” Red asked softly. 

Liz sighed shakily with the pleasure and she looked longingly into his eyes. 

“Yes.” She breathed. 

Red felt Lizzie’s hands go to his back and he paused for a moment, gauging her reaction. He could see the compassion in her expression as she discovered his scars, then she kissed him. She whimpered and rubbed herself against his erection again, wanting to continue. Red returned her kiss and moved against her, firmly rubbing her clit, and she moaned. They stopped kissing and Red studied Lizzie’s face as he positioned his tip at her opening. She blushed and squirmed slightly, with a look of yearning in her eyes. Liz nudged downwards, trying to get Red to enter her and she was so turned on by the sensation of his tip gently nudging against her very wet opening. She whimpered and breathed heavily. 

“Mm…Red…” Liz said breathily. 

“Are you sure you want to do this, Lizzie?” Red asked, to make sure. 

“Yes…please…I need to feel you inside me…” She said in a sultry tone, still squirming a little. 

Red was pleasantly surprised by how much Lizzie craved him. He slowly pressed against her opening and he entered her, which made them both moan. He slid in a little further and she was already writhing in pleasure; he gently went all the way in and he sighed. 

“Ohh Lizzie…” Red moaned breathily. 

Liz was excited to hear this, and she was so aroused and gratified to feel him starting to move inside her, she felt the pleasure building already. She felt like she wouldn’t last very long. Red began slowly thrusting, and Liz moaned and whimpered. 

“Oh god…Red…” Liz purred. 

Red was thrilled he was finally making love to Lizzie and that she was getting such pleasure from him. He couldn’t quite believe it, but it was exquisite. They looked into each other’s eyes and then he gave her a sweet, soft kiss. He saw the tiniest smile appear on her lips after the kiss, and it was so adorable. He was elated that he could make her smile, even briefly. Red revelled in seeing the pleasure and concentration on Lizzie’s face as he thrust faster. She whimpered quietly and gently grasped his shoulders. 

Liz was concentrating on the sensations Red was giving her; she felt herself getting more wet as his long, hard member moved in and out. Their lovemaking was becoming more slippery. Red could feel how wet Lizzie was for him and he had to try hard to last longer. He focused on their intense feelings for one another and how amazing it was to be together like this at last. It was a powerful experience for both of them; they felt even more deeply connected now. 

Red slowed down to look into Lizzie’s eyes and lightly caress the side of her head. Liz smiled at the sweet, romantic gesture; she put her hand on his cheek and kissed him passionately. She wrapped her legs around him as their kissing became more heated. Liz moved on him, trying to get him to quicken the pace again. Red felt her adorable attempts to get him to go faster, and he gave in; they stopped kissing and watched each other as he thrust quickly into her. Their need for release was becoming urgent. Liz whimpered and enthusiastically met Red’s thrusts. 

“I want you to come in me.” Liz said pleadingly. 

“…Yes Lizzie…” Red said intensely. 

Red was a little surprised, but very pleased; it felt so good, he wouldn’t have trusted himself to pull out anyway. They were both breathing heavily and their movements were getting frantic; Liz was eagerly expecting Red to come and she got closer to climaxing. She was whimpering and panting as she held his shoulders; he thrust harder and faster to meet their desperate need.

Red felt Lizzie tightening around him and he watched the pleasure on her face; she whimpered quietly and then took a quick breath. She tensed up and let out a very sexual moan as she reached her orgasm. He felt her body rhythmically squeezing him and he started coming, gushing heavily into her. Liz heard Red moan breathily and felt him stay deep inside her as he came and she was immensely gratified. 

The waves of pleasure from their orgasms lasted a while, but when they eventually died down, Red and Liz looked adoringly at each other. She blushed and looked at him in awe while he smiled gently at her. 

“You are so beautiful.” Red said quietly. 

Liz felt a bit overwhelmed and dazed, even lovestruck. She couldn’t say anything at the moment, so she just kissed him. Red smiled into the kiss and then he pulled back to gaze at Lizzie again. He was very happy to see a small smile on her lips. He kissed her cheek and the smile grew. Liz started feeling happy and excited about what they’d just done, and her guilt was waning. Red didn’t ever want to move, but he reluctantly pulled out of Lizzie; he heard the sweetest little sound from her as he withdrew, then he lay down beside her. They faced each other. 

“It’s so nice to see you smiling, Elizabeth.” Red said, lightly running his fingertips over her cheek. 

She gave him a coy look. 

“Well…I’m feeling better.” She explained, somewhat playfully. 

“I’m glad.” He said, smirking slightly. 

Liz averted her eyes. 

“…I don’t know what to do now.” She said quietly. 

“I think we cuddle at this point, sweetheart.” He said humorously. 

Liz lightheartedly scoffed. 

“No, I mean…where do we go from here, Red?” She said. 

“…Where do you want us to go from here, Lizzie?” He asked. 

Liz sighed. 

“I dunno. I was making it my mission to hate you and get some sort of revenge, but this…this felt so right, and so good.” She said, thinking aloud. 

Red just listened and watched her. 

“I can’t hate you anymore.” She said, realizing she’d have to give up her mission. 

Red smiled briefly at her. 

“I think…I’d like to carry on like this and see what happens…” She said, blushing. 

Red was beyond thrilled. 

“I would love to do that as well.” He said softly. 

He looked at Lizzie and her eyes were full of emotion; he wanted to lighten the mood again. 

“Can we cuddle now?” He asked. 

Liz let out a little laugh. 

“Yes.” She said. 

Liz moved closer and snuggled up to Red; it was another new experience, and it felt great. They quietly relaxed and dozed together. 

(To Be Continued…)


	3. Chapter 3

Liz woke up and realized she was in bed with Red, with their naked bodies still pressed together. She started blushing and the guilt rushed back to her; she was sleeping with the enemy. She wondered what on earth she was going to tell Jennifer. Liz also wondered what was wrong with her, because she’d just chosen sex with Red over avenging Tom’s death, and possibly her father’s death. She felt slightly sick at the thought, but at the same time, being with Red felt blissful. How could it be wrong? Liz sighed quietly as she realized she was still going to feel conflicted about this for an indefinite length of time.

Red woke up from a pleasant nap with Lizzie and he heard her sigh; he looked down at her face as she rested on his shoulder. She seemed to be lost in thought and he wondered if she was regretting what they’d done. He would be disappointed, but not very surprised, if she regretted it. He gently rubbed her back, bringing her out of her reverie. She looked up at him. 

“Are you okay Lizzie?” Red asked. 

“I don’t know. I mean…I’m not really regretting this, but I still feel…conflicted. It’s hard to explain.” Liz said. 

“I can understand that.” He said. 

Liz studied him. 

“I’m sorry, Red.” She said, not wanting to hurt his feelings. 

“You have nothing to apologize for. I realize how confusing this must be for you. I hope I haven’t made things worse between us.” He said. 

“You haven’t.” She said earnestly. 

Liz propped herself up on her elbow so they could see each other better. 

“I wanted to do this with you…and I’m glad we did. I’m just worried that I’ve let people down…” She admitted. 

“…Who?” He asked. 

“…Jennifer, Tom…my father…” She said. 

“…How have you let them down, Lizzie?” He asked. 

Liz swallowed hard and was having trouble meeting his eyes. 

“I was…going to find out who you really were, and then I was going to…avenge them. I failed. I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to you.” She said. 

Red was puzzled; he stared at her for a few moments. 

“Were you planning on killing me?” He asked. 

“No. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but it wasn’t that…” She said. 

Liz didn’t want to tell him that she’d planned to hurt him by walking out of his life forever. 

“…I failed, too.” Red said. 

“What? How?” She asked. 

“You are my weakness, Elizabeth. I should’ve kept my distance from you. It would have been so much easier to convince people I was Raymond Reddington…but I had to get close to you and risk everything. You found out the truth about the DNA results. How am I going to maintain my identity _now_ , especially after…this? If anyone found out, they’d either just think I’m a pervert or they’d know we’re not related.” He said. 

“…No one has to know about us.” She said. 

They looked into each other’s eyes and Red was amazed by the change in Lizzie’s attitude; she’d hated him and now she was on his side again. He was slightly amused as he thought about how Lizzie must have really enjoyed the sex to change her tune so quickly. He gave her a gentle smile. 

“Sweetheart…that would mean pretending to be my daughter in front of other people.” Red said. 

“…I know.” Liz said, pondering it. 

“Would you be willing—and able—to do that?” He asked. 

Some of Liz’s anger came back. 

“I know I’m not as good a liar as you, but I can manage.” She said defensively. 

“Alright.” He said in a soothing tone. 

Liz relaxed again as she felt Red’s hand gently rub her shoulder. She lay back down and rested her cheek on his shoulder. Red was fairly sure Lizzie would do her best to keep his cover intact, but he wondered how they would be able to keep their true relationship under wraps. He also wondered how involved Jennifer was and if she would be a threat; Tom, Garvey and of course the real Raymond Reddington were no longer threats. Red was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Lizzie exploring him. Her fingertips lightly danced over his collarbone and around his chest, then down to his abdomen. Liz blushed and shyly moved the blankets down so she could continue her exploration of Red. She lustfully surveyed his body and delicately ran her hand along his length. 

“Oh…did you want something from me, sweetheart?” Red asked playfully.

Liz continued stroking him. 

“Yeah…” She said softly. 

Red sighed quietly with pleasure as Lizzie grasped his erection as he got harder. She encircled him with her hand and stroked more firmly until he was very hard, but he took her hand away. Liz tried to gauge his expression to see if he didn’t like it or something, and she was surprised when he gently pushed her onto her back and got on top of her. She got extremely turned on by Red taking charge; she put her legs on either side of him and felt herself getting wetter in anticipation. Liz looked up into Red’s intense green eyes and they held each other’s gaze as he rubbed against her, exquisitely pressing on her clit. She moaned quietly as he did this several times, then he positioned himself at her opening.

“Is this what you want, Lizzie? Red asked seductively. 

“Yes.” She breathed. 

Liz gasped slightly when she felt Red push inside almost all the way, but it was very satisfying. She breathed deeply and relaxed again, so he was able to go in all the way. Red watched Lizzie blush and felt her tighten on him, and he was further enchanted by her. He kissed her neck passionately as he waited for her to adjust; he licked, sucked and gently bit her neck. Liz whimpered and squirmed with pleasure, but she realized she might get a hickey. 

“You could leave a mark…” Liz said breathily. 

“It’s okay…” He said quietly, then he continued. 

Liz stopped caring whether she got a bruise from Red; the idea turned her on, and she could easily explain it to people by saying she’d started dating. 

“That feels so good.” She moaned. 

Red bit Lizzie’s neck a little harder and began thrusting deeply, and she made cute little whimpering sounds, which thrilled him. She held his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him as she eagerly met his thrusts. Liz noticed Red was being rougher this time and she was very excited; she got more wet and he was easily sliding in and out. She moaned as she felt the deliciously lubricated friction inside her from his rough thrusting. It was perfect. 

Red felt Lizzie’s legs hold him a little tighter and her hands grasped his shoulders harder. He watched her close her eyes and concentrate on the pleasure, and he could tell she was getting closer to orgasming. He got rougher with her and she whimpered, but she was clearly still enjoying it: Lizzie was getting more vocal and she put her hands on his back, trying to pull him even closer. 

“Mm…yes…Red…” Liz panted. 

Red continued driving hard into Lizzie and he was elated when she suddenly tensed up and gasped as she reached her orgasm. Her breath caught and her slick walls clamped down on him; she whimpered as he carried on thrusting. Several moments later, Red breathed “Lizzie” in her ear and started coming; he spurted into her with the strong waves of pleasure. Liz was thrilled when Red came inside her, and she moaned and arched up against him in pleasure. They slowed down and then looked at each other as they stopped moving. 

“Oh my god…” Liz said. 

Red smirked. 

“I agree.” He said. 

Red was amused by Lizzie’s awestruck expression, and he kissed her. He studied her and he noticed that he did in fact leave a mark on her neck, which gratified him. He kissed her again and then gently pulled out. Red lay next to Lizzie and they recuperated for a few minutes. Liz was feeling thoroughly satisfied, and a little sore; she ran her fingers through her hair and sighed somewhat loudly. Her mind still reeled as she thought about how she’d just had sex with Red—twice. She felt a little less guilty now, and she felt like she could actually get used to this. She realized, however, that her “meeting” with Red was taking a very long time and she should probably go home. Liz looked over at him. 

“Red…” She said. 

He looked over at her. 

“Yes, Lizzie.” He said. 

“I told Cooper that we’d be meeting for an hour or so and that I’d get back to him afterwards.” She said. 

“Oh.” He said, and it dawned on him that they’d been together for several hours now. 

“What can I tell him about this Luminary character?” She asked. 

Red sighed and put his arm over Lizzie’s waist, surprising her. He pulled her a little closer and he liked how she relaxed and got comfy again. 

“The Luminary gives people ideas for committing the perfect crimes; some of them don’t work, but many of them do, so his or her reputation is maintained.” He said. 

Red adoringly surveyed Lizzie’s nude body and ran his hand down her side and hip, then back up. 

“Red.” She said, smirking slightly. 

“Mm?” He responded. 

“Anything else?” She asked.

“The Luminary seems to favor poisons when ‘inspiring’ others to commit murder.” He said. 

“Okay.” She said. 

Liz sighed. 

“Sorry but…I have to get going.” She said regretfully. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He said. 

Liz gave him a smile and then she got out of bed. She blushed lightly as Red watched her get dressed. He finally got up and put his boxers on. They looked at each other and Liz felt awkward. 

“So…um…” She began. 

Red smiled lightly; Lizzie was obviously unsure of how to proceed and he wanted to make things easier for her.

“We’ll see each other tomorrow at the black site, Lizzie. And whenever you want a massage…or anything else from me…just let me know.” He said. 

“Okay…thanks, Red…” She said shyly. 

“You don’t have to thank me.” He said amusedly. 

“Okay. Well…I better go…” She said, blushing. 

“Just one other thing.” He said. 

Liz looked at him expectantly, and she was surprised when he kissed her slowly and sweetly. She put her hand on his cheek and returned the kiss. After several moments, they pulled apart. She was dazed for a moment. 

“Oh, I just remembered I don’t have my car.” She said. 

Red chuckled. 

“My driver will take you home.” He said. 

Liz nodded. 

“‘K, thanks. See you tomorrow.” She said. 

“Right.” He said, smiling lightly. 

Liz left the guest bedroom and went out front to the car, where the driver met her. He took her home and then she went inside. She took her shoes off and went into her bedroom, where she changed into some pyjamas. She went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror as she washed her hands. Liz noticed the slight bruise on her neck from Red’s kissing and biting, and she sighed and blushed. It was gratifying and embarrassing at the same time. She dried her hands, then she sat on the sofa in the living room. She called Cooper and gave him the update. Liz was glad he didn’t ask what took so long. She didn’t need to use any of her feeble pre-planned excuses including Red going off on tangents during the meeting, a slight case of food poisoning, and having a bad headache.

After her short phone conversation with Cooper, Liz turned the TV on and grabbed some cereal to snack on. She was watching a nature documentary when her phone beeped and startled her. She checked the text messages and her stomach dropped when she saw it was from Jennifer. 

_Any news?_ It read. 

Liz anxiously stared at the screen for a while, then she typed a message back:

_No, nothing._

Liz sent it and put the phone down on the coffee table. She stared at it nervously, but it stayed silent, so she continued watching TV. Liz wasn’t really paying attention to the show; she was busy recalling everything that happened earlier. She went over it repeatedly, thinking about how she’d allowed Red to persuade her and win her over yet again. Liz felt a little foolish and embarrassed again about how easily she’d rolled over for him—literally. However, she found herself believing that he didn’t actually kill her father, he only needed to use his identity. She still knew that Red had deceived her and Jennifer, and indirectly triggered the events that led to Tom’s death, but her anger had lost its momentum. She was seeing Red as someone she loved and wanted to be around again, like she used to. 

Liz wanted to be distracted from her thoughts and anxiety, so she left the TV on, set her alarm on her phone and lay down on the sofa. She tried to get to sleep but all she could think of was Red; the way he looked at her, his voice, his touch, how he felt. She still smelled like his cologne, too. At first, she felt somewhat hot and bothered by her thoughts, and the scent, but then she began to feel comforted. Liz recalled what it felt like to be in Red’s arms and snuggled against him in bed. She put her hands and wrists up in front of her face so that she could keep smelling his cologne on her skin, then she drifted off to sleep. 

The phone jingled annoyingly in the morning, startling Liz out of a good sleep. She groaned and turned it off. She wanted to go back to sleep but she knew she had to get up for work, so she stood up and stretched. Liz went to the bathroom, washed her hands, made coffee and breakfast, then got into the shower. The warm water soothed her and she thought about how Red had soothed her with the massage. She wished he were massaging her right now; she reached up and switched the shower head to the massage setting. It was no match for Red’s hands. Liz vividly recalled how his hands felt on her and then how his lips felt against hers, how his body felt pressed against her, how it felt when they rubbed together and the sensation when he moved inside of her. She became very aroused and wished Red were there with her.

Liz took the shower head off the stand and directed the water between her legs. She felt the strong pulses of water steadily hitting her clit and she sighed with pleasure; she remembered kissing Red, feeling him on top of her, wrapping her legs around him. The pleasure was building rapidly, and Liz recalled how it felt when Red first entered her, then how it felt when he came inside her. She moaned as she orgasmed, still picturing Red. When she became too sensitive for the stimulation, she put the shower head back in the stand and she sighed with relief. Liz washed up and then turned the water off. She got out and dried off, then went into the bedroom to get dressed. Liz kept looking at the slight bruise on her neck, but rather than being angry about it, she felt a thrill. She finished getting ready and then she drove to the black site. On the way, she could barely concentrate; she just kept thinking about Red. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Liz felt nervous as she walked into the main area of the black site; she wondered if anyone would notice the hickey on her neck and if she would be able to act normally around Red. She locked eyes with Red and he smiled at her. She managed to give him a small smile like she normally would, then she stood near him. Her fellow agents joined them and she greeted them. Samar and Aram looked lovey-dovey together and she thought it was cute. For a brief moment, she missed Tom, then for another brief moment, she wished she and Red could be open about the true nature of their relationship. Liz cleared her head and focused on Cooper. 

“Aram has just started researching cases of poisoning, based on Reddington’s intel about the Luminary’s favorite murder ideas. This will only get us so far, however, because many of the crimes inspired by the Luminary have successfully gone undetected. We’ll see what the search shows; we might be able to find out more about the people who tried to use the Luminary’s ideas and ended up being convicted. If we find a weak link there, we could ask them to give us information about the Luminary.” Cooper said. 

They all nodded. 

“Elizabeth, would you be able to come up with a profile of the Luminary for us?” Cooper asked. 

“Yes.” Liz said. 

Liz was relieved that no one seemed to notice the bruise on her neck; she thought maybe her hair was covering it. It wasn’t, but none of her colleagues were nosy enough to inquire about it. None, that is, until Samar was alone in the washroom with Liz. Samar eyed her in the mirror and smiled lightly as they washed their hands. They dried their hands and faced each other. 

“Liz, have you…met someone? I couldn’t help noticing…” Samar said, gesturing to Liz’s neck. 

Liz blushed lightly. 

“Sort of…it’s just a casual thing. I wanted to kind of get out there again, but I don’t want anything serious.” Liz said convincingly. 

Samar nodded sympathetically. 

“I understand. I’m glad for you. I’m glad you’re not lonely.” Samar said. 

Liz smiled slightly and nodded. 

“Yeah…thanks.” Liz said. 

Samar smiled and then they went back out to the main area. 

Liz decided to grab a coffee, so she was in the break area, waiting for the coffee machine to finish. She suddenly smelled Red’s cologne. 

“Hello Lizzie.” Red said. 

Liz felt her stomach do an excited jump, and a shiver went up her spine from his voice right behind her. He moved and stood close beside her. 

“Hi…” She said. 

They looked at each other and Liz found it difficult to be normal. She cleared her throat. 

“Did you want a coffee?” She asked. 

“No, thanks. How are you this morning?” He said. 

Liz couldn’t prevent herself from smiling a little. 

“Good…how are you?” She said. 

“Wonderful.” He said. 

They stared at each other for a few moments, then Liz’s coffee was ready to be poured, so she attended to it. Red adoringly watched Lizzie make her coffee, although he was clearly making her uncomfortable. She blushed lightly and kept glancing in his direction, although not into his eyes. He wished he could hug her and kiss her, among other things. Liz took a sip of her coffee and then looked expectantly at Red, who was still loitering in the break area.

“I just wanted to see how you’re doing.” Red explained. 

“Oh.” Liz said. 

Liz thought it was kind of sweet that Red wanted to check on how she felt after their first time—times—together. She smiled and glanced around to make sure they were alone, which they were. 

“I feel good, actually. I had a better sleep, and…I’m not regretting it, Red.” She said quietly. 

Red smiled. 

“I’m very glad to hear that, sweetheart.” He said softly. 

They smiled at each other for a moment, then they decided to get back to the others. 

“Known poisonings seem to be relatively rare. Do you know of any specific cases?” Aram asked Red. 

“No, unfortunately.” Red said. 

“The ones I found could have been inspired by the Luminary, but we’ll have to dig deeper. There are probably other ones that just haven’t been detected, or haven’t gone to court yet, anyway.” Aram said. 

Red nodded. 

“Liz, how about you and Reddington work on the Luminary’s profile? We could use the guidance.” Cooper said. 

“Okay…Red, did you want to go somewhere else?” Liz said. 

“Sure. It’ll help us concentrate.” Red said. 

They looked at each other and then at Cooper.

“I’ll let you know as soon as we have a workable profile.” Liz said. 

“Great. Thank you.” Cooper said. 

Liz and Red walked together to the elevator and got in. They were silent as they went to the main floor, then they left the building and walked to Liz’s car. Things felt a bit awkward; Liz wasn’t sure about Red’s intentions—or her own—once they were alone together. They got into the car and Liz looked at Red in the rearview mirror. 

“Well…where to?” She asked. 

“How about we go to my safe house, Lizzie?” He suggested. 

“Okay…” She said, once again very easily persuaded. 

(To Be Continued…)


	4. Chapter 4

Liz and Red were quiet as they parked and went into the safe house. She stood nervously in the foyer and watched him lock the door behind them. He ushered her into the living room, then she watched him take his suit jacket off and drape it over a chair. They sat on the sofa together and Liz kept glancing at Red, feeling a little flustered. Red noticed she seemed uncomfortable.

“Can I get you anything, sweetheart?” Red asked. 

“Oh, um, no thanks…” Liz said shyly.

They gazed at each other for several moments. Red was wondering if Lizzie seriously wanted to work on the case, or if she was just waiting for him to make the first move. He studied her carefully. Liz looked into Red’s intense eyes and she wondered what he wanted to do. She felt shy again, so she tried to focus on work.

“…The tendency to encourage poisonings suggests the Luminary could be a woman. But it’s possible it’s a man; someone who likes to stay at a distance. Like a bomber, arsonist or sniper type of profile.” Liz said. 

Red found this interesting, but he was mostly just amused by Lizzie’s attempt to remain professional. He smiled lightly as he listened to her and he watched her cheeks turn a little pink. Liz was feeling self-conscious as Red stared at her amusedly while she talked. 

“…What?” She finally asked. 

“Nothing. It’s…fascinating.” He said. 

Liz thought he sounded sarcastic, so she gave him a skeptical look. 

“No, seriously, Lizzie…but also, I find you…adorable and amazingly gorgeous. It’s a little distracting.” Red said. 

Speaking of distracting, Liz wished she weren’t so easily distracted by Red and his charm, but she was. She sighed frustratedly. 

“Red…this is weird.” She said. 

Red raised his eyebrows. 

“What is?” He asked. 

“Just…going back to normal like this after everything that’s happened. I’m trying to get back to how things were before, but a very short while ago, I wanted to get revenge on you and then we slept together. It’s all…weird and confusing.” Liz admitted. 

Red nodded. 

“I know.” He said softly, leaning back and crossing his legs. 

“We certainly don’t have the most straightforward relationship.” He added. 

Liz gave him a slight smile. 

“Ya think?” She said sarcastically. 

Red smirked, but then he watched Lizzie get more serious again. She seemed to be lost in thought, so he put his hand on hers. She looked at him again. 

“We’ll figure it out, sweetheart. We always do. We managed to work out our differences…” Red said. 

Liz looked down at the floor. 

“Yeah…sort of.” She said. 

Red looked expectantly at her, so she reluctantly continued. 

“I no longer want to hurt you or get revenge…and I really like you—the person you are when you’re with me…but I still don’t know the real you. I also don’t know what I’m supposed to tell Jennifer. You deceived her as well, and she’s going to want answers. I told her I’d find things out about you, and that I’d find out what happened to our father.” Liz said. 

“Hm.” Red responded, thinking about what Lizzie had just said. 

Liz looked at Red and studied him and she wondered if maybe she shouldn’t have told him that. Red was considering the possible eventualities and how he might deal with each of them. He also felt bad for Lizzie, who seemed to have made promises she can’t keep. He brought his attention back to her. 

“I realize this puts you in a difficult position, Lizzie. What would you like to tell Jennifer?” Red said. 

“I don’t know exactly, but it won’t be anything compromising to you, don’t worry. I haven’t even found out anything compromising to you, Red, so even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have anything useful to give her…but I don’t want to. My…attitude towards you…has changed.” Liz said, then she started blushing. 

“I’m not worried.” Red said. 

They stared at each other for a moment. 

“I could just tell her I haven’t been able to find anything out…which is true.” Liz said. 

Red nodded subtly. 

“Alright.” He said. 

Liz enjoyed hearing how softly he spoke to her and she gazed into his mesmerizing green eyes. She started feeling warm and a little excited. She cleared her throat slightly. 

“So…getting back to the profile…” Liz said. 

Red moved closer to Lizzie and studied her face; she seemed to be getting hot and bothered by him, which was very gratifying. 

“The profile can wait until later, if you’d like to…do something else.” Red said. 

Liz tried to keep focused but it was proving extraordinarily difficult. 

“Um…” She said quietly as she stared at him. 

Red leaned closer so that their lips were almost touching; he then brushed his lips against hers. He felt himself already becoming hard just from feeling Lizzie’s lips. Liz subtly moved her lips against Red’s and it felt electrifying; she started getting more aroused. 

Liz allowed herself to be distracted for a few moments but then she gently pulled back and looked at Red. 

“Red…we’re supposed to be working on the profile.” Liz said halfheartedly. 

“It can wait.” Red said.

Liz found that she couldn’t resist pressing into a full kiss. Red felt Lizzie eagerly turn their sensual play into a proper kiss and he almost smiled. He made a quiet “mm” sound as she tried to deepen the kiss. They began kissing passionately and Red lightly caressed Lizzie’s cheek, then he kissed her cheek, jaw and neck. Liz began breathing more heavily and revelled in Red’s kisses, but she wondered how they would continue working together when they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. 

“I don’t know how I’m gonna get anything done around you…” Liz said frustratedly. 

She made sure she sounded frustrated with Red, but she secretly loved it. She wanted to come across as hard to get, although it didn’t quite work. 

“I’ll let you work, Lizzie…afterwards…” Red said suavely. 

Liz gave him a tiny smirk. She knew she couldn’t resist Red’s persuasion, even if she wanted to. She wanted to feel him between her legs again. Liz felt her panties become damp in anticipation as they kissed passionately. Their kissing soon became extremely heated and Liz felt a slight gush of wetness at her opening as she got very aroused; she was craving Red badly. 

Red heard Lizzie breathing heavily and she whimpered very quietly as she grasped his shirt and tried to pull him closer. He was thrilled with how excited she was, and he put his hands on her back, gently bringing their bodies closer together as they kissed. They paused to catch their breath and look at each other. 

“Would you like to go into the bedroom?” Red asked. 

“Yeah.” Liz said breathily. 

Red smiled and stood up; he took Lizzie’s hand and kissed the back of it, then he led her to the master bedroom, which was much more luxurious than the guest bedroom they’d been in yesterday. They stood near the huge bed and gazed into each other’s eyes. Red could see the longing in Lizzie’s eyes again, and he was extremely gratified that she wanted him so badly. She seemed to be getting quite smitten with him, which was so sweet, and a little unexpected. He gave her a smile and moved closer. 

Liz felt thrilled, nervous and aroused as Red got very close in front of her; he brazenly started undoing the buttons on her blouse. She blushed lightly but allowed him to undo her blouse and then take it off. Red noticed Lizzie was wearing a sexy, expensive-looking black bra and he wondered if she chose to wear it today in anticipation of him seeing it. Liz noticed Red gave her a devilish grin when he looked at her bra; he seemed to thoroughly approve. She felt warm and slightly shaky as he ran his index finger down one bra strap, then slowly over the top of one cup, the other, and then up the other bra strap. 

“You’re looking…particularly delectable today, Elizabeth.” Red said. 

Liz swallowed hard and wondered what Red would do when he discovered her lovely matching panties. 

“Thank you…” She said quietly. 

Red smiled and began undoing his shirt. He loved how Lizzie avidly watched him, almost without blinking; she clearly enjoyed watching him undress. He took his shirt off, then his undershirt. Liz eagerly took her shoes, socks and pants off and put them in a pile on the floor. Red smirked and did the same, then they surveyed each other; he adoringly raked his eyes over Lizzie in her extra-gorgeous bra and panties. He delicately ran his finger along the top edge of her panties, which seemed to tickle her slightly. The material was satiny, and so was her lower abdomen. Red got even harder, and Liz was lustfully eyeing the front of his boxers. She took her bra off and although Red obviously enjoyed her panties, she took them off as he watched raptly. 

Liz was excited to watch Red take his boxers off; she blushed and felt a little shy, but she couldn’t help looking at his erection. She felt herself getting more wet. Red moved closer and he slowly brought his hand up between her thighs; she moaned quietly as he touched her sensitive flesh. He loved feeling Lizzie’s soft, delicate folds; they both sighed with pleasure as he lightly pressed against her clit. Liz put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself and they kissed while his fingertips gently went in circles on her clit. Red felt it becoming very firm and Lizzie was nearly clawing at his shoulders; he used his middle finger to slide between her inner lips to her opening. He felt how slippery she was and he was immensely turned on. Red made an “mmm” sound and he very lightly rubbed her opening, and she whimpered again. 

“Red…” Liz said pleadingly. 

She couldn’t wait any longer. 

“Lay back on the bed…” Red said, taking the hint. 

Liz somewhat reluctantly moved away from Red and got on the bed. She lay back and opened her legs very wide as he joined her. He got on top of her and rubbed his tip against her clit and then her very wet opening. 

“You are so wet, Lizzie…are you ready?” Red said seductively. 

“Yes!” Liz breathed. 

“Alright sweetheart…I’ll give you what you want…” He said soothingly. 

Liz blushed again as she felt a little ashamed of how much she craved Red, but she couldn’t help it. She was completely under his spell once more; she ran her hands over his back and held his shoulders. Liz felt Red gently enter her. 

“Oh god…” She said breathily.

Red slid in further. 

“That’s better, isn’t it baby…” He said softly. 

Liz blushed deeper, but she was finally getting what she wanted, and it felt exquisite. 

“Yes…” She said quietly. 

Red felt Lizzie’s body eagerly enveloping him and he was able to go very deep; he moaned quietly as he felt her wetness surrounding him. He heard Lizzie’s sweet whimpering as he pulled back and then slowly thrust deeply again; he kissed her ear and he wanted to tell her he loved her, but he refrained. 

“You’re so sexy…” Red whispered. 

“Mmm…so are you…” Liz said. 

Red smirked slightly and began thrusting steadily. Liz caressed his biceps and she got even more turned on, so she wrapped her legs around him and started enthusiastically meeting his thrusts. 

“Ohh Lizzie…” Red said quietly. 

Liz was still a bit surprised by how amazing everything felt with Red. She could officially say he was the best lover she’d ever been with, which unnerved her; she felt guilty for thinking he was better than Tom. On the other hand, it made her excited and happy, so she thought there was no point in denying herself this pleasure with Red. 

Red watched Lizzie and noticed her eyes looked emotional. He slowed down and caressed her cheek. 

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Red asked. 

He was pleased when she smiled. 

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Liz said. 

Red kissed her and she smiled more broadly, which delighted him. Liz was enjoying the romance, but she was craving the faster pace. She squirmed slightly and pushed herself down, trying to quicken their movements. Red was amused and very turned on by this, and he kissed her again, then he began thrusting more quickly. 

“Oh…yeah…” Liz purred. 

She was extremely gratified to feel him quickly gliding in and out. 

“Oh my god…” She said breathily. 

Red moaned quietly and thrust faster. 

They were both breathing heavily and their movements were becoming frantic. Red felt Lizzie tightening around him as she got closer to climaxing and he was about to orgasm, too. It was too difficult to hold off this time. 

“Lizzie, I’m going to come…” Red said intensely. 

“Yes!” Liz panted. 

Liz felt Red lose his rhythm as he started coming, and she got so excited, she reached her orgasm. Red heard Lizzie whimper and breathe very heavily as her body tensed and clamped down on him, which added to his pleasure. He kept gushing inside her over and over while they both had mind-blowing orgasms, then he slowed down and caught his breath. He felt Lizzie move on him again, seeking extra pleasure, and he found it adorably sexy. Red shuddered slightly from the strong sensations, but he let her continue. Liz didn’t want this to be over yet, and she loved feeling the warm slipperiness after Red came in her. It was extremely gratifying and erotic. She ground her hips, getting him to slip in and out and a short while later, she climaxed again. Red was amused and surprised as Lizzie gasped slightly and then whimpered and writhed under him with a second orgasm. He loved watching her in pleasure; she’d had her eyes closed in concentration, but now she opened them and noticed he was watching her. Her cheeks turned pink and she gave him a small smile. 

“Did you enjoy that, sweetheart?” Red asked, smiling amusedly. 

Liz giggled. 

“Yes.” She said. 

They kissed each other a few times, then Red gently slipped out of Lizzie and lay down next to her. They both sighed with satisfaction and looked at one another. Red smiled warmly and lovingly, and Liz found herself smiling, too. She giggled happily. 

“Come here.” Red said softly, putting his arm out for her to come closer.

Liz got snuggled up to Red and she rested her cheek on his shoulder as he put his arm around her. They relaxed quietly for a few minutes.

“So how about that profile, Lizzie?” Red asked comically. 

Liz groaned. 

“I can’t think straight right now.” She said. 

Red smirked and quietly chuckled. 

“I knew that was gonna happen.” She said frustratedly. 

Red rubbed her back soothingly. 

“It can wait. I was just teasing.” He said. 

“I know.” She said. 

Liz nuzzled against his shoulder and closed her eyes. They were silent again and after a while, Red realized Lizzie had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He smiled to himself and felt happy; he allowed himself to doze off with her. 

After a peaceful and cozy nap, Liz woke up, still snuggled against Red. She found it comforting and exciting to be pressed against him in bed. She sighed contentedly and put her hand on his chest. 

“Hello, Lizzie.” Red said. 

Liz smiled. 

“Hi, Red.” She said. 

“Did you sleep well?” He asked. 

“Yeah. Did you?” She said. 

“I did. I actually can’t remember the last time I slept that well.” He said. 

“Oh…” She said, surprised. 

Liz snuggled up to him a little closer; her heartstrings had been pulled again. She rubbed her cheek against Red’s shoulder and then she nuzzled her face into his neck; she kissed his neck and his cheek, then she got comfy on him again. Red smiled; he was pleasantly surprised by Lizzie’s affection. The silence was broken by Liz’s phone beeping with a text message. Liz groaned quietly and refused to get it yet. She felt like this situation with Red was perfect and she didn’t want to ruin it. She grabbed the blankets and pulled them up over her shoulder, fully intending to stay in bed with Red for a while longer. 

“Aren’t you going to check your phone?” Red asked amusedly. 

“Nope.” Liz said. 

Red was very surprised, but pleased. He rubbed Lizzie’s back and hugged her to him for a moment, then he kissed her on the head. They rested and relaxed quietly for quite some time. They were both thoroughly enjoying being cozy in bed together. 

“Red?” Liz said. 

“Hm?” He responded. 

“I’m sorry…” She said quietly. 

“What on earth for?” He asked. 

“Hating you. It’s been extremely frustrating, wondering why all these terrible things keep happening in my life and I blamed you for all of it. I realize…you must have your reasons for doing the things you do, and I don’t think you hurt me on purpose.” She said. 

Red was moved by Lizzie’s revelation. He kissed her on the head and then he softly petted her hair and her cheek. 

“You don’t have to apologize. As I said before, I completely understand how frustrating and confusing everything is for you. I’m sorry for bringing these things into your life.” Red said. 

Liz looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. 

“Thanks, Red. It’s okay…well...I mean I’ll just keep dealing with everything as it comes. I’ve handled it all so far.” She said. 

“You’re incredibly resilient, Lizzie.” He said. 

Liz just kissed him in response. She sighed and realized she should see what the text message was. 

“I guess I should check my phone.” She said, getting up. 

Liz got out of bed and picked up her phone from her jeans pocket on the floor. She tapped on the screen and saw that it was from Ressler:

_Any progress on the profile? I see you’re still at R’s place.  
__Let us know when you two have something._

Liz blushed lightly and looked at Red. 

“It’s Ressler…he wants an update on the profile, and he knows I’m here ‘cause of my phone signal.” She said. 

Red could tell Lizzie was flustered. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re excellent at profiling. I’ll give you some info and you can come up with something in no time. Besides…everyone thinks you’re my _daughter_. They won't suspect anything.” He pointed out.

Liz felt dirty for a moment, but then she smirked and got on the bed with Red again. 

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” She said. 

“I’ve heard that the Luminary is someone with a lot of experience in terms of forensic science and that’s how they come up with near-perfect crimes for clients to commit.” Red said. 

“Oh. Thank you, that’s great.” Liz said. 

She kissed Red again and then she called Ressler. Red watched amusedly as Lizzie sat up and put the phone to her ear, naked, in bed with him, as she waited to talk to Donald. 

“Ressler. Sorry, I just got your text now…yeah. My profile so far is that the Luminary is a loner but is able to remain inconspicuous; likes to keep a distance in two ways: gets a kick out of inspiring and instructing others to commit crimes, and tends to recommend poisons. Based on statistics and psychology, keeping a distance could suggest a woman, but then again it might fit with a male profile of the arsonist, bomber or sniper variety. Red says the Luminary has a reputation of expertise in the forensic science aspects of the crimes; that would typically suggest someone with a law enforcement background, but I would go so far as to say it could be someone with a scientific or medical background, just because they are familiar with poisons.” Liz said. 

As she finished going over the profile, Red smiled; he knew Lizzie would come up with something brilliant in no time. He ran his hand along her thigh and she got startled and embarrassed, as if Ressler would be able to tell. Red chuckled. 

“Does Reddington find this amusing?” Ressler asked. 

“No! He’s…reading a comic strip.” Liz said. That was the best she could come up with. 

“…Well tell him to put the newspaper down and get some more intel for us.” Ressler said. 

“Right.” Liz said tensely as she felt Red’s hand rub her inner thigh. 

“That’s all for now. Thanks for the profile, Liz. That’s very helpful.” Ressler said. 

“No problem. Talk soon.” She said. 

“Okay. Bye.” He said, then they hung up. 

Liz gave Red a stern look, but he just smirked. 

“The distraction was not helpful, Red.” Liz said. 

“I couldn’t help myself…and I think you liked it.” Red said. 

Liz couldn’t really deny that, so she just looked at him. She sighed. 

“You’re gonna get me in trouble one of these days.” She said. 

“Most probably.” He said. 

They stared at each other. Liz surveyed Red as he lay relaxing on his back; the blankets barely covered him, and she was tempted. She put her phone on the nightstand, then she turned back to Red and she bit her lip excitedly. He gave her an amused smirk and then she moved the blankets down. Liz looked into Red’s eyes as she slowly ran her hand along his length several times. She was pleased that he was beginning to get hard. She leaned close and kissed him passionately; he returned her kiss enthusiastically and he nudged into her hand. She moaned softly and then looked at him. 

“Red, do you wanna…do it again?” Liz asked. 

“Absolutely.” Red said. 

Liz giggled at his comical response, then she put her hand on his chest and straddled him. Red moaned quietly and got even harder, which Lizzie clearly enjoyed. She breathed somewhat heavily and rubbed her moist center up and down along his erection. Red felt himself getting slightly slippery from Lizzie’s fluid as she rubbed against him and it drove him crazy. He lightly stroked her thighs and then caressed her breasts; he delicately rubbed her nipples and she sighed with pleasure while pressing down on him more firmly. 

Liz lifted herself up, gently grasped Red’s erection and positioned it, then she lowered onto him. He entered her and they both moaned; she rocked up and down, taking him deeper each time she moved down. He was all the way inside her and she paused to adjust; she slowly ran her hands down his chest and gazed into his eyes. After a few moments, Liz began gently moving up and down on Red and it felt amazing for both of them. She watched him close his eyes for a moment in pleasure and she slowly leaned forward to kiss him. They kissed passionately and Red was thrilled to feel Lizzie moving a bit faster. She was getting more wet and they were both breathing heavily. 

Red watched raptly as Lizzie brought herself upright again. He adoringly surveyed her face and hair, her breasts, abdomen, hips, and then he became extremely aroused as he looked down at where their bodies were connected. He sighed in pleasure. 

“Lizzie…” Red breathed. 

Liz smiled slightly and revelled in hearing him. She felt his hands grasp her hips and he gently pulled her down onto him with each thrust, which thrilled her. She whimpered quietly and they both quickened the pace. Liz was in so much pleasure, she felt like Red drove her up the wall. She ran her fingernails down his chest, which made him moan. Red wondered if Lizzie would leave marks on him, but he wasn’t concerned; it just turned him on.

Liz moved up and down much quicker as they both craved release, and she could feel him gliding in and out with the exquisite lubrication they were both creating. She whimpered and then suddenly tensed up as a massive orgasm hit her; she squeezed Red with her thighs and breathed very heavily as the waves of pleasure went through her. Red was enraptured by Lizzie’s orgasm and he came, spilling heavily inside her with immense pleasure. When they came down from the peak, they stopped moving and looked at each other. 

“Wow.” Red said. 

Liz giggled. 

“I know. Oh my god.” She said. 

Liz moaned breathily and felt very happy and satisfied. Red sighed somewhat loudly and caught his breath as he watched Lizzie smile. He thought she looked too adorable to resist, so he lightly touched and caressed her abdomen. It tickled her, so she giggled and jumped a little, which felt good to both of them, since he was still inside her. 

“Mm…Red, you drive me crazy.” Liz confessed. 

“I’m glad. You drive me crazy, too, Elizabeth. We can be insane together.” Red said. 

Liz laughed, then she gently got off Red and lay down beside him. 

“We’re not getting much done today.” She said. 

“You came up with a wonderful profile. I haven’t done anything, but I don’t mind just being here to tend to your…needs…” He said. 

Liz blushed. 

“Thanks, Red.” She said wryly. 

“You’re welcome.” He said, smirking. 

(To Be Continued…)


	5. Chapter 5

Liz was laying next to Red in his bed at the safe house and she was strongly considering staying there for the entire night. Her anger and resentment towards him had disappeared and she’d replaced them with love and attraction. She realized how quickly she’d changed her mind—and heart—but instead of focusing on how easy she was for Red to seduce, she focused on how good it felt to get in touch with her feelings from before he pretended to be her father. Liz was also very focused on how good it felt to be with Red. She studied his face and his eyes; they had such a strong attraction to each other, she felt like they could just brush against one another and she’d have an orgasm. She giggled as she thought about this.

“What are you giggling about, Lizzie?” Red asked. 

“I was just thinking…I find you extremely sexy.” Liz said. 

Red gave her a smug, cheerful smile. 

“Why thank you, Elizabeth. You are extremely sexy, too.” He said. 

They looked at each other and smiled.

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m not your father.” Red quipped.

Liz blushed. Red smirked and he thought it was cute she was so embarrassed.

“…Can we not go there?” She asked, feeling embarrassed. 

Red chuckled and then Lizzie continued. 

“Um, it’s kinda weird to tell you this now, but…when I saw the DNA results, I considered changing the contact in my phone from Nick’s Pizza to Dad…” She said. 

This caused Red to feel strangely wistful. 

“…I’m sorry I lied and confused you, sweetheart. Very sorry.” He said. 

Liz nodded. 

“…What am I, in your phone, anyway?” She asked. 

“You’re number one in my speed dial, actually…but I’ve named you Polaris. Remember, I said you were my North Star…” He said. 

It was Liz’s turn to feel emotional. 

“I remember. That’s really sweet…” She said quietly. 

He suddenly pulled her close and kissed her. 

“Mm. What was that for?” Liz asked, surprised. 

“I just can’t resist you.” Red said softly. 

“Ditto.” She said, then she kissed him. 

They kissed several times. 

“How about we have dinner together, Lizzie.” Red said. 

“Okay.” Liz said. 

They got out of bed, got dressed again and washed up, then they went into the kitchen. Red had some pre-prepared Thai food from a chef, so he heated it up and they sat at the fancy dining table together. They enjoyed their dinner and then they did the dishes, which felt a bit weird because they’d never done anything domestic like that together. They decided to sit in the living room and sip some very expensive wine. Red kept an eye on the time and he watched Lizzie carefully to read her body language. It was now early evening and she seemed comfortable and relaxed. The atmosphere felt intimate, so he was thinking about asking her to stay the night. Liz barely took her eyes off Red; he always captured her attention fully and now that she was feeling more comfortable around him, she wasn’t avoiding eye contact as much. They gazed at each other and Liz felt like she had his full attention as well. 

Liz was trying to think of something to say when Red spoke. 

“Lizzie, I know you might be concerned about your colleagues watching your phone signal, but would you like to stay the night—with me, I mean?” Red asked. 

Liz was amused that Red felt the need to clarify that he wanted her to stay with him rather than in the guest bedroom. She smiled. 

“Yes. I was actually thinking of it earlier…” Liz said. 

“Excellent. What a pleasant surprise.” He said, smiling. 

“Well, like you said…they won’t suspect anything, so it should be fine.” She said. 

Red smiled almost mischievously and Liz started blushing lightly. She wondered what she was in for, now that she was going to stay all night. Red leaned towards her and she smelled his lovely cologne; he hovered very close to her face for a moment, then he gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek, which was unexpected. Liz smiled and felt warm all over; Red moved back and smiled at her. 

“Lizzie…” Red began. 

Liz watched him expectantly. 

“I want you to know that I appreciate you giving me a second, third, fourth…hundredth chance. I probably don’t deserve them, but I’m glad you give them to me.” He said. 

“…You’re welcome. I’ve become so attached to you, I don’t think I can imagine my life without you, even though you make things…complicated.” She said. 

Red gave her a gentle smile and he put his hand on hers. Liz enjoyed feeling his warm, comforting hand on hers and she grasped it. 

“Red, I also appreciate you giving me chances after I blow up at you or get frustrated with you.” Liz said. 

“It’s alright, sweetheart. Don’t worry about that. I know I’m not the easiest person to be around.” Red said softly. 

Liz gave him a small smile and she continued holding his hand because it felt so nice. She gazed at him for a few moments, then she moved closer. She snuggled up to him and she smiled as he put his arm around her. Liz was still pleasantly surprised by how good she felt when she was with Red, and how she felt safe in his arms. She surprised him by nuzzling and kissing his neck; he was warm and smelled fantastic. She then kissed him on the cheek. Red was wondering where all the affection was coming from, but he loved it; he was pleased Lizzie was becoming more comfortable with him and that she was trying things out. He felt her pull back and he noticed she was gazing longingly at him, which made his heart swell. He smiled warmly as he waited for her to say something, but she was staying quiet, just seeming to yearn for him. Red tilted his head and studied the slight bruise from the love bite he’d left on Lizzie’s neck. He reached for it and delicately touched it with his fingertips. She sighed quietly. 

“Let me kiss it better…” Red said. 

He leaned closer to Lizzie and slowly put his mouth to her neck, over the bruise. Liz moaned softly as Red kissed her neck; it felt amazing, but she was pretty sure he was adding to the bruise rather than making it better. Liz was also pretty sure that Red was highly skilled with his mouth, and it turned her on immensely to think about what else he might do with it. She then thought about what she might do with her mouth, and she got even more turned on. 

Red heard Lizzie whimper quietly all of a sudden, and he sighed with pleasure at hearing the sweet sound; Liz got goosebumps as she felt his breath on the wet spot on her neck. Red wanted to kiss Lizzie’s beautiful pout, so he brushed his lips over her neck and jaw, then he kissed her lips. She quietly hummed her pleasure and slowly, passionately kissed him back. Liz moved closer and put her hands on Red’s chest, gently exploring him. Her hands wandered over his chest, then she ventured downwards. She put one hand on the bulge in his trousers and began rubbing. He moaned quietly and kissed her harder. Liz pulled back from their kissing.

“Red…do you want to go into the bedroom?” She asked breathily.

He smiled and was a little taken aback by how insatiable Lizzie was for him. 

“I do. Lead the way, sweetheart.” He said. 

Liz smiled and got up from the sofa, then she took hold of Red’s hand when he stood up. She held his hand as she timidly led him to the bedroom. Red could tell Lizzie had something in mind that she wanted to do, so he looked expectantly at her, awaiting instructions. Liz blushed lightly from his intense gaze and she felt shy about getting started. 

“Um…could you lay back on the bed?” Liz asked.

“Of course.” Red said, almost comically. 

Liz giggled quietly and watched him get comfy on his back. She crawled onto the bed and brought her face close to his. She had the urge to straddle him, but she refrained.

“I’d like to touch you and pleasure you…would you like that, Red?” She asked in a sultry tone. 

“Yes, Lizzie…” He said. 

“Would you like it if I used my mouth…?” She asked. 

Red was floored. 

“…Lizzie, you don’t have to do that.” He said. 

“I know. I want to. Do _you_ want to?” She said. 

Red nodded subtly, still in shock. 

“Yes…” He said. 

Liz smirked slightly and kissed him, all the while resuming rubbing the very hard bulge in his trousers. She felt him subtly buck his hips to press against her hand and she was thrilled with the effect she was having on him. Liz stopped the kiss and looked lustfully at Red, then she excitedly undid his belt. She felt Red’s eyes on her and she blushed a little deeper as she unzipped his trousers. She then grasped and pulled his boxers and pants down together and he lifted up to make it easier for her. She whimpered softly with lust and arousal as she looked at his erection; he was pleased with her adorable response. 

Red watched raptly as Lizzie looked into his eyes and grasped his erection; he felt her soft hand encircle him and stroke gently up and down. He was getting progressively more aroused, especially when he saw her lick her beautiful lips to wet them. Liz swiped her hair to one side so that it would be out of the way and so that Red would be able to see her face. She bent down and put her lips over his tip, then she took him into her mouth as far as she could; she used her hand to stroke his base. She heard him moan, which made her panties get a little damper. She felt so gratified to be doing this, although she could hardly believe she was actually doing it with Red. Liz slowly glided up and down, learning what he liked; She revelled in feeling how hard he was, how smooth and warm he was, and how he tasted. He moaned again when she tightened her lips slightly and concentrated her attention just past his tip. 

“Dear god, Lizzie…” Red said breathily. 

Liz hummed in response, causing him to carefully nudge into her mouth at the vibrations. Red breathed more heavily as Lizzie continued moving over him; he was enraptured by the sensation of being in her mouth as she eagerly pleasured him. He was in slight disbelief that this was really happening, but he focused on the immense pleasure. Liz pulled up and sucked lightly on Red’s tip; she tasted some of his fluid and she subtly wriggled on the bed with her own arousal. He sighed with pleasure as she began licking his tip, lapping at the fluid she was eliciting. Red shifted a little, enjoying the delicious torture but also craving release. He softly petted Lizzie’s head and she eagerly took the hint and put her mouth over him again, moving more enthusiastically now. Liz didn’t want to make Red wait, she wanted to make him come. 

Liz tightened her grasp and her lips on Red’s erection and she excitedly bobbed up and down, paying special attention to his favorite spot. She felt him get even harder and she made a little whimpering sound in excitement. Encouraged, she kept up the fast, tight movements. His heavy breathing heightened her arousal and she was aching for stimulation between her legs; she wriggled slightly on the bed again as she wished she could feel him against her intimate flesh and inside her body. Liz gave Red some long strokes, then she went back to the short, quick strokes. 

“Lizzie…I’m going to come…” Red said quietly. 

Liz got very excited and she increased her efforts; Red could tell she wanted him to come in her mouth, and the idea of it pushed him over the edge almost immediately. She heard him groan quietly and she was immensely gratified to feel and taste the warm gushes as he came. It was an impressive amount, and she just kept swallowing until finally there was nothing left. Liz heard Red sigh with satisfaction as he kind of slumped underneath her. She gently released him and looked up at his face. He looked slightly awestruck, which made her smile and giggle. 

“Did you enjoy that, Red?” Liz asked, knowing full well that he enjoyed it. 

Red lightly caressed her cheek and held her chin. 

“Yes, sweetheart. It was marvellous.” He said, smiling weakly. 

Liz giggled again. 

“Good.” She said softly. 

Red pulled his boxers up and then petted Lizzie’s head and hair again. 

“You are so beautiful, and so precious…” He said. 

Her cheeks turned a light pink and she looked at him with emotional eyes. 

“What is it, baby?” He asked. 

“I find myself wanting to be with you all the time and to…experience everything with you. I want your attention, affection, your body…the pleasure you give me.” She said guiltily. 

“Well, I’m flattered and very pleased. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know, sweetheart.” He said, feeling puzzled by her shame. 

“…Yeah, but…I made you my enemy, and now I can’t keep my hands off you. I feel a little crazy.” She admitted as she looked down at the bed. 

“You’re not crazy.” Red said. He had to prevent himself from chuckling at the slight insult she’d inadvertently given him. 

Liz realized how it sounded, so she looked into his eyes. 

“Sorry, I don’t mean that I’d have to be crazy to want you. Clearly, that’s not the case…you’re extremely attractive, handsome, charming and sexy.” She blurted out. 

Red couldn’t suppress a chuckle this time. 

“Thank you, Lizzie.” He said, smiling. 

“I’m just still kind of surprised by the way you make me feel, Red. I didn’t really expect this to happen. But I’m glad it’s happening…” She said. 

“I understand. I must admit that I’m also surprised, and very, _very_ glad it’s happening, too.” He said. 

Liz smiled and gave him a coy look. Red took this as her very subtle hint that she was ready for him to return the favor. 

“Would you like me to give you pleasure right now, sweetheart?” Red asked quietly. 

Liz got an excited shiver up her spine from hearing his low, seductive voice. 

“Yeah…” She said in a sultry tone. 

Red smiled; he knew it. He sat up and moved closer to her; he leaned in and softly kissed her lips and her cheek.

“I would love to taste you and feel your silky, creamy wetness on my tongue.” He said.

“Oh…” She said in a whimper. 

“Would you like that, Lizzie?” He asked. 

“Yes.” She said breathily. 

“Lay on your back.” He gently instructed. 

Liz lay down on her back and then Red grasped the waistband of her pants and pulled them down and off for her. She thought wryly that she shouldn’t bother wearing clothes, as she and Red were incapable of staying clothed for very long. He adoringly looked at her black panties and then slowly pulled them down and over her feet. He gently tossed her panties aside and watched raptly as she blushed and slowly spread her legs for him. Liz was so nervous and excited, her legs were trembling lightly; she couldn’t believe Red was about to go down on her. Her excitement, arousal and emotion were dizzying. 

Red got comfortable on his front and put his hands on Lizzie’s thighs, gently caressing them. He felt her quivering and he found it endearing. 

“Are you nervous, sweetheart?” He asked. 

“A little.” She said. 

“Oh, it’s okay baby. There’s nothing to be nervous about.” He said, then he planted kisses on her inner thighs. 

Liz sighed and relaxed into the bed as Red’s voice and kisses soothed her. She felt his lips get closer to where they both wanted them to be, but he paused and looked up at her. 

“Do you want me to keep going?” He asked. 

He was eagerly awaiting tasting Lizzie for the first time but he wanted to be sure it was what she wanted. 

“Yes.” She said quietly. 

Red smiled and then his lips connected with her moist, warm folds. Liz felt him kiss her there, then his tongue gently licked her; she moaned softly and writhed slightly with pleasure. She heard Red make a low “mmm” sound as he explored her intimate flesh with his tongue. She could tell he was enjoying it too. Red used his tongue to rub Lizzie’s clit for a while, then he put his mouth over it and lightly sucked. 

“Oh…Red…” Liz whimpered.

Red was thrilled hearing this; she was also squirming a little bit from the intense sensations. He was turned on by Lizzie’s pleasure and her response to him. He heard her whimpering quietly as he flicked her clit with his tongue. Her thighs began quivering again and Red knew she was getting closer to climaxing. He lowered his face and very gently slipped his tongue between her inner lips; he lightly nudged her opening, making her moan. Red tasted Lizzie’s fluid and it was as silky, creamy and exquisite as he expected; the feel and slightly sweet taste of her almost made him hard again already. 

Liz was breathing heavily and grasping the blankets at her sides as she got closer. She felt Red return to her clit, then stroke downwards to her opening. He repeated this motion several times, giving her the full range of pleasurable sensations each time. The tip of his tongue gently rubbed her opening again and then quickly went back and forth on her clit. Liz gasped and whimpered as she reached her orgasm. Red moaned quietly as he felt Lizzie squirming against his mouth in the throes of pleasure. She suddenly got very sensitive and his tongue strongly tickled and almost zinged her as he continued licking her clit after her orgasm. 

Red heard Lizzie make the most adorable, tiny whimpering giggle and she backed away from his mouth. 

“It tickles!” She said breathlessly. 

Red chuckled softly and he rose up. Lizzie was a vision of beauty, glowing and flushed from the pleasure he gave her. 

“Did you enjoy that, Lizzie?” He quipped. 

Liz laughed. 

“Yes! Oh my god. I think I’m ready for bed now.” She said.

“Bed sounds wonderful.” He said tiredly. 

They were both very satisfied and their tiredness was setting in. Liz got off the bed and took her top and bra off. 

“Since I don’t have any pyjamas here, I’m gonna sleep naked.” She said. 

“Mm.” He responded interestedly. 

Liz chuckled and Red took all his clothes off, too. They were both a little distracted by each other’s nude bodies, but then they went and got washed up for bedtime in the lovely en suite bathroom. Liz got into bed first and she couldn’t stop smiling. Red went to one side of the bed and looked amusedly at her. 

“I like seeing you smile.” He said. 

Liz grinned at Red and as soon as he got into bed, she gravitated towards him. He barely had time to turn the lamp off before she snuggled up closely. She felt excited and happy, almost too much to be able to sleep, but as they rested together, she became calmer. Liz felt so safe and cozy against Red’s warm body, resting her cheek on his shoulder. 

“‘Night, Red.” She said. 

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” He said. 

They both smiled to themselves in the darkness for a few moments, then they relaxed and gradually drifted off to sleep. 

(To Be Continued…)


	6. Chapter 6

Liz woke up in the middle of the night and she felt that Red was absent; she missed him already, and she sat up and listened. She was glad to hear the water running, which meant he was nearby. Red had a few sips of water, then he came back into the bedroom and saw Lizzie sitting up, illuminated by the moonlight through the expansive window.

“Is something wrong, Lizzie?” He asked. 

“I just wondered where you were…I missed you.” She said. 

Red felt like his heart completely melted. He quickly got back into bed with her. 

“I’m right here, sweetheart.” He said. 

Liz felt comforted and she pressed up against Red, putting her arm around him and hugging him tightly. Red was pleasantly surprised by how much she’d missed him; he kissed her on the head. As they lay cuddling, Liz was lost in thought. She felt like she might actually be in love with Red; in the past, she’d cared about him, enjoyed his company and she’d been attracted to him. She loved him as a friend and confidante, then as her ‘father’. Now, their relationship seemed complete and the love and attraction for him were stronger than ever. Instead of shying away from letting him know, she decided she was going to confide in him about her feelings. 

“Red?” Liz said quietly. 

“Yes, Lizzie?” Red asked. 

“I think I’m in love with you.” She said. 

Red now felt as if his heart exploded. He didn’t know what to say for several moments. Liz noticed the long pause and she started feeling embarrassed, but then he spoke. 

“Sweetheart…we’ve been through a lot together, especially recently…your feelings for me might be a little confused right now.” He said. 

Liz was slightly offended. 

“I’m not confused. I’m aware of how much we’ve been through and how difficult everything has been…but I’m falling for you.” She said. 

“I didn’t mean to belittle your feelings. I’m sorry. I love you, Lizzie. It’s hard for me to articulate how much I love you.” He said. 

Liz felt very emotional and she seemed to have a sudden lump in her throat as she swallowed. They both embraced each other tightly and she couldn’t prevent a few tears escaping. She sniffled and wiped her tears off Red’s shoulder. She was touched by his words but also she realized she couldn’t be without him; the thought that she almost walked out of his life forever to get revenge was distressing. 

“Red, I don’t want to lose you.” Liz said. 

Red was a little puzzled, not having been privy to Lizzie’s train of thought, but he gave her a comforting squeeze. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” He said. 

Liz clung to him, but Red had managed to quell her tears. They relaxed and listened to each other’s breathing; after a while, they both dozed off. 

In the morning, Red awoke first and he was very pleased that Lizzie was still snuggled up to him; she hadn’t budged for a few hours. He was glad she’d slept peacefully for a change. He carefully looked down at her face so as not to wake her, and he thought about how wonderful it was to wake up with Lizzie at his side, in his bed; he was over the moon. She was still fast asleep, so he stayed put. Red was slightly distracted by the sensation of her warm, soft skin against him, including her breasts pressed against his side. He put his nose to her hair and breathed in the lovely scent of her shampoo. He thought about their relationship and how much he loved her, and now that he knew she loved him, he was even more determined to stay by her side through everything, for as long as she would have him. 

Red suddenly felt Lizzie stretch slightly; her arm went over his abdomen and her leg went between his. He thought she was waking up, but she stayed still and quiet, and her breathing was steady. He was amused and surprised when Lizzie made a small humming sound and subtly ground her hips against him. She seemed to be having a sexual dream or at least responding to having his body against her; it was cute, but it was also very arousing. Red started becoming hard and then Lizzie ground her hips against him again, making matters worse. He wanted to wake her up so they could make love, but he decided to just wait and see what happened. 

Liz woke up feeling extremely horny; she felt Red’s upper thigh between her legs, so she rubbed against him, seeking satisfaction. 

“Mm…Red…” She whimpered quietly. 

“Lizzie…get on top of me. I want to make you come.” Red said. 

Liz got excited and she eagerly straddled Red; they gazed into each other’s eyes and she blushed as she rubbed along his already very hard member. 

“Ohhh I can tell you’re as horny as I am.” Liz said. 

“Yes. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” He said flirtatiously. 

Liz giggled. 

“Really?” She said, intrigued. 

“Yes…you began rubbing against me and it made me hard. I want to bury my cock deep inside you. Now.” He said intensely.

“Oh...” She whimpered weakly with extreme arousal. 

Liz lifted up and guided Red’s erection to her opening; she pressed down on his tip and she was so wet, he slipped inside easily. They both moaned as she rocked up and down gently to take him deeper. She lowered herself and felt him filling her completely. 

“You feel so good.” Red said. 

“Mmm. I love how you feel inside me. I can’t get enough.” Liz said. 

Red was coated with Lizzie’s wetness and their lovemaking was already slippery as they began moving steadily in perfect rhythm with each other. Their movements were already quick and urgent from their craving. Red was enthralled by Lizzie’s moaning and whimpering, and how she looked on top of him. He firmly held her hips and pulled her down onto him, making their pace fast and rough. They were both breathing heavily and getting closer to climaxing already. 

“Lizzie, I’m not going to last long.” Red said breathily. 

“It’s okay. Me neither.” Liz panted. 

Red watched the pleasure on Lizzie’s face and how her breasts jiggled slightly as she rode him; he felt her becoming tighter around him and he couldn’t hold back. He moaned as he started coming, and he was pleased to feel Lizzie squeeze him with her thighs and hear her cry out as she reached her orgasm, too. She felt him throbbing inside her with each wave of pleasure. Their bodies were in perfect synchrony so that each time her walls clamped on him, he spurted into her. Red watched adoringly as Lizzie stopped moving on him and she shuddered with the last waves of her orgasm. 

“Oh my god.” Liz said breathlessly. 

“I know.” Red concurred. 

They caught their breath and smiled lightly at each other; Liz giggled joyfully and bent forward to kiss Red. She didn’t really want to get off him, but she tremblingly got off and slumped beside him. She sighed loudly with satisfaction and absentmindedly glanced at the clock on the wall. 

“Oh my god.” Liz said again, this time somewhat panicked. 

“What?” Red asked, concerned. 

“We have to get ready! We’re due at the black site soon.” She said, quickly getting out of bed. 

Red tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help chuckling as Lizzie almost ran into the bathroom and started up the shower. He got up, went into the bathroom and joined her in the shower, which endearingly made her blush a little. They quickly washed up together and rinsed off, then they got out. Red unfolded a soft, fluffy towel and put it around Lizzie; she smiled at the gesture before drying off. Liz towel-dried her hair as best she could but they were running out of time, so she left it damp and got dressed, not wearing any panties because she didn’t have clean ones. 

“I’m wearing the same clothes as yesterday!” Liz complained. 

“It’s fine. They’ll know you stayed here, and as I said before, they won’t suspect anything.” Red assured her. 

Once they were presentable, Red wanted to make sure Lizzie ate some breakfast. 

“You have to eat something.” He said. 

“We don’t have time.” She said. 

“I’ll bring these muffins and we can eat them when we get to the black site.” He suggested. 

“Okay, fine.” She said. 

Red smirked and grabbed two muffins, then they left the safe house. Liz drove them to the back site and she was feeling anxious and guilty for spending the night with Red; she felt like everyone would be able to tell what went on. They had several minutes left before they had to report in, so Red reached forward and held one of the muffins out to Lizzie after she parked. 

“Lizzie, eat your muffin.” Red said. 

Liz thought his tone sounded paternal, and she felt embarrassed. They certainly did have a strange relationship. However, she took the muffin and they finally ate breakfast, then they went indoors. They were quiet and Liz felt tense as they rode the elevator and then walked into the main area. The agents greeted Liz and Red, although Liz was having trouble meeting their eyes. Cooper came out of his office and joined the task force. 

“Aram has found a convict in a nearby prison; she was found guilty of the attempted murder of her husband. She poisoned him with chemicals that wouldn’t be suspect in trace amounts, but she gave him a lot. He didn’t die, but he is very ill, apparently. He suspected what she’d done, so he went for tests and talked to the police. The wife was arrested and as I said, she’s in prison. We think she got her inspiration from the Luminary because of the unusual chemicals used. Ressler and Samar are going to visit her today to see if she’ll give us any details about her crime and where she got the idea from. Hopefully, we’ll find out something about the Luminary’s appearance or whereabouts.” Cooper said. 

They all nodded. 

Liz was craving caffeine, so she went to the break area to make coffee. Samar joined her. 

“You look tired today, Liz.” Samar said. 

“Yeah...” Liz said, just staring intently at the coffeemaker. 

Samar eyed the bruise on Liz’s neck, which looked worse today. 

“That hickey looks worse. Weren't you with Red last night?” Samar said. 

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?!” Liz asked incredulously. 

“…I mean, how did you have time for a date when you were busy with Red?” Samar said. 

Samar was a little startled by Liz's overreaction.

“I didn’t have a date last night.” Liz said. 

They stared at each other and Liz realized she needed to explain the worsened hickey. 

“It’s just the bruising. It progresses a little before it gets better.” Liz said. 

“Oh.” Samar said. 

“Yeah…” Liz said. 

The coffeemaker beeped and Liz was grateful for the distraction. 

“Did you want some coffee?” Liz asked. 

“No thanks. I gotta get going to the prison with Ressler. Hey Liz, I hope I didn’t offend you. I didn’t mean to imply anything weird. I wouldn’t; I mean, he’s your father for goodness sake.” Samar said. 

Liz was relieved their cover was intact. 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Liz said. 

“See ya later.” Samar said. 

“Yep. See ya.” Liz said, then Samar went over to Ressler. 

Liz began putting the sugar in her cup.

“Is everything okay?” Red asked, making Lizzie jump. 

“You scared me.” She said. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He said. 

Liz glanced around, irrationally embarrassed by the term of endearment. 

“It’s okay. And yeah, everything’s fine. Samar wondered if I had a date last night, ‘cause my hickey looks worse.” She said, glaring slightly at him.

“I see. I’m sorry about that as well.” He said, although he was smirking a little bit. 

Liz glanced around again. 

“It’s okay…I liked it…it felt really good.” She said shyly. 

She began pouring the milk.

“Hm. I’m glad you enjoyed it…I would do that all over your body if you’d let me.” Red said. 

Liz accidentally bumped the milk carton against the paper cup and spilled a bit of coffee. She glanced around to make sure they were still alone. 

“That would probably feel amazing…but it would look awful.” She said, smirking. 

Red chuckled. 

“Did you want coffee, Red?” Liz asked. 

“Sure. I’m feeling a little tired.” Red said. 

Liz smiled and poured another cup of coffee. She added the milk and sugar how Red liked it, then she handed it to him. 

“You know how I take my coffee?” Red asked, impressed. 

“Yeah. I remembered it’s the same as mine…” Liz said fondly. 

“Thank you. You’re so sweet, Lizzie.” Red said softly. 

“Yeah. It’s from all the sugar.” She joked. 

They both chuckled and sipped their coffee, then Aram came over to the break area. 

“You both look tired today. Late night?” Aram asked as he put the kettle on. 

“Yeah. We stayed up late talking.” Liz said. 

“Oh. I have to say I think it’s great that you’re getting to know each other better. Now that you’re officially father and daughter, you can make up for lost time.” Aram said. 

Liz blushed lightly. 

“Yeah, that’s...kind of what we’re doing.” She said. 

Red raised his eyebrows at her while Aram was busy unwrapping a tea bag. Liz blushed deeper. 

“Is it warm in here, or is it just me?” Liz asked, to excuse her blushing. 

“I’m okay. The hot coffee could make you feel warmer.” Aram said. 

Liz nodded and glanced at Red, who then winked at her, which wasn’t helping. Cooper came over to the three and Liz was still blushing. 

“While we wait for the report from Ressler and Samar, I’d like to work on research. Aram, can you look for any other poisoning cases that used the same chemicals? That might help us find cross-listed cases related to the Luminary. Reddington, I’d like you to get in touch with some of your sources to find out how we might make contact with the Luminary. We may need to entrap the Luminary. Liz, can you search for cases that fit the profile of the Luminary?” Cooper said. 

They all agreed, then Cooper nodded and went into his office. Aram went to his computer desk and Liz and Red didn’t want to be separated, so they both went into her office. Liz worked on her computer while Red made his phone calls. After a while, and a few conversations, Red put his phone away. 

“Well…” He began. 

Liz turned and looked at him. 

“Apparently, the Luminary has heard of me, and is quite the fan. It’s a woman, and she would be happy to give me some inspiration for a murder.” Red said. 

Liz found herself feeling jealous. 

“Oh…did you talk to her?” She said. 

“No, my sources told me that it would be very easy for me to make contact with her; she has even put the word out that she’d like to work with me. I wasn’t made aware of this before; I hadn’t contacted these particular sources for quite some time. They said she’s been ‘dying’ to meet me. It’s intriguing…not that I would consider it. I’m trying to take her down, not collaborate with her.” He said. 

“That would make catching her easier, but there could be other ways. I don’t really like the idea of you meeting with her.” She said. 

There was a long pause.

“It could be dangerous.” Liz added. 

Red was thoroughly amused and flattered by Lizzie’s jealousy, but he didn’t want to embarrass her by pointing it out. 

“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll tell Cooper what I found out and we'll see what he says.” He said placatingly. 

“Okay.” She agreed. 

Aram excitedly called to them from his computer station, so Liz and Red went over to see him. Cooper came out of his office and joined them. 

“The exact same chemicals in the exact same concentrations were used in another attempted murder! What are the odds?” Aram said. 

“That’s very interesting.” Cooper said. 

“So, it’s likely the Luminary told this other person or people to use the same method as the woman Samar and Ressler are going to see. Obviously it was a bad plan, because in both cases, it didn’t work and the perpetrators were caught.” Aram said. 

“Excellent work, Aram. Reddington, Liz, have you found anything out?” Cooper asked. 

Liz cringed and she hoped Cooper wouldn’t approve of Red meeting with the Luminary. Red gave him and Aram the update. 

“Hmm. That gives another option for apprehending her. Let’s wait and see if these people give us enough to arrest her. If not, we’ll have to go the entrapment route.” Cooper said. 

They all nodded, although Liz didn’t want to go with the entrapment plan that would involve Red meeting with some crazy fan girl. She caught herself feeling really jealous and she tried to shake it. It helped when she felt Red’s hand on the small of her back. 

“Lizzie, how about we go sit in your office.” Red said. 

“Yeah.” Liz said. 

They went back into her office and Red closed the door; Liz glanced nervously at it, then out the window at her colleagues, then at Red. 

“What are you doing?” She asked. 

“It’s okay, Lizzie. Relax.” He said, then he sat down. 

Liz realized Red was an appropriate distance from her, so she relaxed a little. She looked at her computer screen. 

“I dunno if I need to finish searching for related crime profiles or not; we have two ways of bringing the Luminary down.” She said. 

“It might be fun to see what other methods she might have suggested to people.” He said. 

Liz felt the jealousy flaring up again; was Red admiring this person? 

“…I suppose.” She said. 

Liz looked through some other poisoning cases, then some murders that were made to look like robberies gone wrong, then ones that were made to look like accidents. Red was almost startled when she finally spoke. 

“These could all be her. She tries to be really clever and think of everything…make everything perfect. It doesn’t always work. I wonder what her background is; remember, I said she could be law enforcement or a scientist or medical professional.” She said. 

“Maybe we’ll find out.” Red said. 

Liz’s phone beeped with a text message. She looked at the screen. 

“Oh…it’s from Jennifer…she wants to meet up with me soon.” Liz said. 

She nervously bit her lip and stared at the phone, unsure of how to respond. She looked up at Red. 

“I should meet with her. I won’t tell her anything about…us. I’ll just tell her I can’t find anything else out about you and that I’d like to drop it.” She said. 

Red raised his eyebrows. 

“And what’s your reason going to be, for ‘dropping it’?” He asked. 

“Uh…I dunno. Okay, what if I tell her what you told me…that you didn’t kill our father, you just assumed his identity?” She said. 

Red leaned back and sighed. He was uncomfortable with the prospect of Jennifer having as much information as Lizzie, but he supposed it would be okay since Jennifer already knew he wasn’t her father.

“…I suppose.” He said. 

Liz sighed with relief. 

“Good. Thank you, Red. That should make things a bit easier.” She said. 

Red nodded, and then Liz texted Jennifer to ask when she wanted to meet up. Her phone beeped with the reply. 

“She wants to meet tomorrow for lunch.” Liz said, looking up at Red for approval. 

“Okay.” He said. 

Liz texted back to confirm that plan with Jennifer, then she put her phone on her desk. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She jumped slightly when Cooper knocked on the door. Red was closer to the door, so he opened it. 

“Ressler just called me; he said the woman in prison wouldn’t give them anything about the Luminary. Also, more bad news…the other case that Aram found…well, the perpetrator just died in prison two days ago from a heart attack. Reddington, it looks like you’ll be setting up a meeting with the Luminary.” Cooper said. 

“That’s fine, Harold.” Red said, looking excited for his mission. 

Liz crossed her arms and legs and leaned back. She didn’t say anything. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Later that day, Liz and Red were at his safe house, sipping some wine after dinner. 

“So, are you excited about your meeting tomorrow?” Liz asked bitterly. 

“I am, actually. It’s been a while since I entrapped someone.” Red said comically. 

He’d successfully lightened the mood and made Lizzie smile. 

“How about you? Are you excited about your meeting with Jennifer tomorrow?” He asked. 

“Not really. But it’s something I should do, for everyone’s sake. I wish I could come with you, Red.” She said. 

Red put his arm around Lizzie, who was curled up next to him on the sofa. 

“It’ll be fine, sweetheart. You don’t have to worry about _anything_.” He said. 

Red emphasized “anything” to let Lizzie know she needn’t worry about him getting hurt, nor did she have to worry about him being seduced by the Luminary (or vice versa). Liz leaned against him and relaxed. 

“Thanks. Neither do you. I’ll convince Jennifer that we shouldn’t go after you.” She said. 

“I know, baby. I’m not worried.” He said. 

Liz giggled. 

“What?” He asked. 

“You never used to call me baby.” She said, smiling.

“Yes, it’s a very recent development…” He said. 

They both chuckled and Red held Lizzie a little tighter against him. Red put his wineglass down on the end table beside the sofa and Lizzie handed her glass to him, so he put it on the table, too. They gazed into each other’s eyes with their faces close. 

“So...you like it when I call you baby?” Red asked. 

“Yes.” Liz said softly. 

“Does it turn you on?” He asked seductively. 

Liz gave him a coy look. 

“Sort of…” She said shyly. 

Red studied her closely. 

“…It makes me feel girly and warm and fuzzy inside.” She said. 

“Hm…and do you _like_ feeling girly and warm and fuzzy inside?” He asked amusedly. 

“Yeah.” She said, smiling. 

“Well then I’ll keep calling you that.” He said. 

“Okay. Good.” She said. 

Liz lightly touched her lips to Red’s; she gave him a gentle kiss while she caressed his cheek. She pulled back and looked at him, then she kissed him again. And again. So Red began kissing her passionately in return. Their kissing started becoming very heated, and Liz was surprised and turned on when Red gently guided her backward until she lay down on the sofa with him on top of her. She opened her legs and he settled between them as they resumed kissing. She whimpered as she felt the hard bulge in his trousers press against her clit; it was satisfying even through their clothes. Liz enthusiastically rubbed against Red and they both moaned. 

Red heard Lizzie whimpering softly and he was thrilled that she was getting so much pleasure from their dry humping. It felt very good, but he wanted more. They stopped kissing and caught their breath as they looked at each other. 

“Do you want to go in the bedroom, Lizzie?” Red asked. 

“No, let’s do it here.” Liz said breathlessly. 

“Mm. Alright.” Red said interestedly. 

He watched amusedly as Lizzie began trying to pull down her pants while he was still on top of her. He moved back and then as she got her pants bunched up at her knees, he helped her get them off. He undid his belt and trousers, then he watched in surprise as Lizzie put one leg up on the back of the sofa while the other leg hung down off the sofa. She was clearly very eager. Red looked down between Lizzie’s legs and he was immensely aroused. He pulled down his trousers and boxers, then he retook his place on top of her. Liz felt Red tantalizingly rub along her moist flesh several times. It wasn’t giving her enough pressure, so she was squirming and whimpering, seeking more. Red could tell he was driving her crazy. 

“Okay, baby, I won’t make you wait any longer…” Red said soothingly. 

Liz blushed and moaned softly. She felt him nudge her opening and she just kept getting wetter in anticipation. Red felt himself being coated with Lizzie’s fluid, so he gently slid inside her. They both moaned as he entered her. She grasped his shirt tightly with both hands and pulled him even closer. He kissed her neck as he waited a few moments, then he slid all the way in. Liz rocked her hips to meet Red’s thrusts and she felt like she wouldn’t last long, just like that morning. They seemed to trigger extreme arousal and pleasure in each other, and it was getting more intense all the time. She was soaking wet for him, so his thrusts felt amazingly lubricated. 

Red was taken aback when Lizzie suddenly gasped and moaned, with her fists tightening on his shirt; she was already orgasming. He felt her warmth squeezing him as she writhed under him, and it was delicious. He watched her open her eyes and her cheeks flushed more; she almost seemed embarrassed. 

“Do you want me to stop sweetheart?” Red asked. 

“Oh god no. Please…” Liz said. 

Red smirked slightly and he kissed her before thrusting steadily again. He noticed she felt even tighter around him, which intensified his pleasure. Liz was also feeling more intense pleasure because she was so sensitive after her orgasm. She could feel every inch him and how perfectly they fit together; he set every nerve alight as he moved in and out. 

“Go faster…and harder. I want to feel you come.” Liz implored.

Red was a little astonished by how much of a saucy minx Lizzie was, but he gladly obliged and picked up the pace. She whimpered and tilted her head back. 

“Oh…yes…fuck me hard, Red…” She panted. 

If Red hadn’t been concentrating so much on the immense pleasure, he would’ve gaped at her in astonishment. He got rougher with her and she kept whimpering excitedly and panting. He felt her becoming tighter again and she was nearly clawing at his shoulders. Liz felt almost constant stimulation from Red’s quick pace and she was rapidly closing in on another climax. Red was also experiencing almost constant friction as he rubbed Lizzie’s slick walls. 

“Ohh…Lizzie…” Red breathed. 

Red started coming, spilling heavily into Lizzie. They stayed still, and Liz could feel Red throbbing as he came deep inside her. She felt so ecstatic, she reached her second orgasm as soon as he moved slightly. She moaned and arched her back, squirming beneath him. Once the mind-blowing pleasure decreased, they looked at each other and caught their breath. 

“Holy fu—“ Liz began. 

Red interrupted her with a kiss. He pulled back and smirked. 

“There’s no need for all that language, Elizabeth.” He teased. 

“Yes there is.” She said breathily. 

They both chuckled quietly, then they kissed again. Red gently pulled out and got off Lizzie; he did up his trousers while she used some tissues to tidy up, then she reluctantly put her pants back on. 

“Red, I have no clothes to wear tomorrow.” She said. 

“Well, go home either tonight or in the morning and get some clean clothes.” He said. 

“I guess I’ll go home tonight…but…will you come with me?” She asked. 

“Lizzie…” He began. 

“Please?” She asked. 

Lizzie was looking at him with her pleading, sad eyes and he couldn’t resist. 

“Okay. I’ll come with you. But I’ll bring some clothing with me so that I don’t find myself in the same predicament.” He said. 

“Thanks, Red. I’d miss you. And you help me sleep better.” She said. 

Red nodded gently and he went and grabbed a bag of some clothing and toiletries, then he returned to Lizzie.

“Alright…come on, let’s go to your place.” He said. 

They went to Liz’s car and she drove them to her apartment. She happily got into some pyjamas and Red was pleased to see her smiling and looking refreshed. He also got into some pyjamas and then they watched TV together for a while before going to bed. 

(To Be Continued…)


	7. Chapter 7

Liz pulled into the parking lot of the diner where she would meet with Jennifer for the first time in months. She felt anxious and guilty, so she took a few deep breaths to try and calm down. She looked at herself in the rearview mirror and thought that the anxious look in her eyes, plus the hickey on her neck would be a dead giveaway to Jennifer. Liz sighed and got out of the car, then she went indoors. Jennifer was sitting in a corner booth, and their eyes met. She wasn’t a smiley person, so she just nodded at Liz, who was feeling a little intimidated. She went over and joined her in the booth. They both said “Hey” to each other at the same time. Liz chuckled nervously.

The server came over to them and they ordered their food, then when the server left, they got down to business. 

“So, what’s been happening? You haven’t been able to find anything out?” Jennifer asked. 

“Well…I did sort of find something out…” Liz rambled. 

“Sort of?” Jennifer asked.

“Yeah, it’s…not something you’re going to want to hear.” Liz said. 

Jennifer looked expectantly at her and waited. Liz took a breath and she felt her hands trembling lightly. 

“…Red, the man pretending to be our father…didn’t kill our father. He assumed his identity after he died.” Liz said. 

“What?!” Jennifer said. 

At this inopportune moment, the server came back and delivered their dishes. Neither of them were feeling hungry. They stared at each other for a few moments. 

“That doesn’t sound likely. Our father conveniently dies and this guy takes over his life?” Jennifer said skeptically. 

Liz didn’t say anything. 

“How did you find this out? How do you know that’s what happened?” Jennifer asked. 

Liz stared down at her sandwich and fries. 

“…He told me.” Liz said quietly. 

Jennifer gaped at her for a moment, then she scoffed. 

“He told you.” Jennifer said incredulously. 

She noticed Liz wasn’t meeting her eyes. 

“Do you believe him?” Jennifer asked. 

Liz finally looked at her. 

“Actually…I do.” She said. 

Jennifer gaped at her again. 

“Why would you believe him…the guy who lies for a living…literally. His identity is a lie, everything is fake. How could you believe anything he says?” Jennifer said. 

“I just do. I’ve gotten to know him…I don’t know all the facts about his life or anything, but I know him as a person, from how he interacts with me.” Liz said. 

Jennifer blinked at her. 

“…How he interacts with you? You can tell he’s a good honest man from the way he tries his best to destroy your life?” Jennifer said bitterly. 

“He doesn’t try to destroy my life.” Liz said defensively. 

Jennifer sighed frustratedly. 

“Liz, you said you were gonna find out the truth about him…I think you’ve just gotten sucked in by him instead.” She said. 

“I haven’t gotten sucked in. I believe he’s telling the truth. You don’t know him like I do…I realize his moral compass is a bit off, but he’s not a monster.” Liz said. 

Jennifer noticed a look in Liz’s eyes and the tone of her voice suggested fondness. 

“Do you actually… _like_ this person?” Jennifer asked. 

“Yes.” Liz admitted. 

Jennifer eyed her suspiciously. 

“…Why did you tell me you were going after him if you’ve got such a blindspot for him?” Jennifer asked. 

Liz shrugged and looked down. 

“You must like it.” Jennifer said. 

Liz looked up at her.

“What?” She asked. 

“The way he does horrible things and treats you like crap. You must find that appealing.” Jennifer said. 

“He doesn’t treat me like crap. Quite the opposite, actually…” Liz said firmly as she started blushing.

“Don’t tell me you’re in love with him or something.” Jennifer joked. 

Liz didn’t say anything. 

“Oh my god. I don’t believe this. You’re in love with the man who most likely murdered our father and wreaked havoc on your life, including getting your husband killed. I knew there was something weird about you when we first met. I shouldn’t have trusted you.” Jennifer said. 

“Jennifer…” Liz began. 

“We managed to go our whole lives without each other. I’d like to go back to that. Please don’t contact me again.” Jennifer said. 

“Jen, wait…” Liz said. 

“I’ll let you pay for lunch. Your psycho boyfriend’s loaded, right? Goodbye, Liz.” Jennifer said, getting up. 

Liz was stunned as Jennifer left the diner. She knew this meeting wouldn’t be easy, but it had been excruciatingly uncomfortable. Her stomach felt like it was twisted into knots and she couldn’t touch her food. Neither of them had touched it. She gestured to the server to get the check. The server came over, looking puzzled. 

“Was anything wrong with the food?” The server asked. 

“No. My sister and I just had an argument…” Liz said, giving her the cash. 

“Oh. Families, eh?” She said. 

Liz sighed. 

“Yep.” She said. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

While Liz was having her difficult meeting with Jennifer, Red was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, nonchalantly waiting for the Luminary to appear. He was getting a little bored, and he glanced at Dembe and gave him a look, then he glanced at the Luminary’s security guy. 

“How much longer, do you know?” Red asked. 

The security guy was stone faced and silent. Red nodded slowly and sneered as if to say ‘thanks for nothing’. Suddenly, a tall, voluptuous blonde woman came into the room. She was wearing a very low-cut dress that revealed way more than just her cleavage. Her high heels clopped on the floor as she approached Red. 

“Raymond Reddington. You have _no_ idea how excited I am to meet you.” She purred in a slight Russian accent. 

The Luminary was like a character from a James Bond movie. Red stood up and shook hands with her. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss…” He said, noticing the lack of a wedding ring. 

“You can call me Nadia.” She said. 

“Ah. Nice to meet you, Nadia. Now, let’s have a little chat about murder.” He said. 

“Oh? Right down to business, hm?” She said. 

They sat across from each other and Nadia made quite a show of crossing her shapely legs. 

“But first…” Red said. 

Nadia was intrigued and a little hopeful. 

“Yes?” She asked. 

“What is your professional background? Law enforcement? Science?” He asked. 

Nadia was disappointed. 

“…Forensic psychology.” She said. 

“Oh I see. How interesting.” He said. 

“Would you like to know anything else about me? I don’t mind opening up to you…” She said flirtatiously. 

“How about you give me a suggestion for making a murder look like an accident. Those can be tricky, and I’d like your _expert_ opinion.” He said charmingly. 

“Is it a man or woman you’d like to have murdered?” She asked. 

“A man.” He said. 

“Okay. Well…let’s see…men can sometimes be clumsy with dangerous equipment…tools, farming equipment, building sites. It would be unfortunate if he were to be decapitated by his saw or be crushed by a truck he’s working on.” She said. 

“Hmm. Indeed.” Red said interestedly. 

Nadia stood up and approached Red again. He stayed seated this time, so she leaned over him with her face close to his. He got an eyeful of her ample cleavage, but he nearly choked on her perfume in the process. 

“Now that we’ve discussed business…tell me what else you want…” She said in a sultry tone. 

Red lightly put his hands on her upper arms and gently guided her away from him. He stood up and they remained close together. 

“What I really want…” He began.

Nadia was in suspense. 

“Is to get you…out of the way. Thanks for the idea, though. You’re an absolute doll; although I’d tone down the perfume if I were you. So what happens now is that I’m going to leave you to the FBI agents who tailed me here, while I get away scot-free as usual.” Red said. 

Nadia’s security man went for his gun but Dembe drew his first and aimed it at the man’s head. They all heard footsteps coming up the stairs, so Red and Dembe left out the other door. Ressler, Samar and a few other agents entered and arrested Nadia and her security guy. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Liz met Red at his safe house that evening and they’d just sat down on the sofa together. She blushed lightly as she recalled their lovemaking on the sofa last night. 

“So, you got the Luminary for us.” Liz said, smiling. 

“I did.” Red said with a smug expression. 

“I saw her photo…she looked like a Bond girl. She’s gorgeous.” She said. 

“Not as gorgeous as you.” He said suavely. 

Liz giggled and looked away. 

“No, seriously, sweetheart. She may have some visually appealing…assets, but she was over the top. I nearly suffocated from her perfume. And aside from that, I love you Lizzie, and I don’t find anyone as attractive as you.” He said. 

“Aww you’re sweet.” Liz said, smiling. 

Red was pleasantly surprised at being called ‘sweet’ and he gave her a cheerful smile. Liz giggled again. 

“How did it go with Jennifer?” Red asked. 

“Terrible, but that was to be expected. She didn’t believe me—or you. She thought I was crazy and she told me to never contact her again.” Liz said. 

“Are you okay?” Red asked. 

Liz sighed. 

“Yeah…she was right about one thing: she and I managed without each other our whole lives so far. I won’t contact her. We can just…keep going our separate ways.” She said. 

“Maybe you’ll work things out one day.” He said. 

“I doubt it. But it’s okay.” She said. 

Red kissed Lizzie on the head. They looked at each other and smiled lightly. 

“I meant what I said, you know.” Red said. 

“What?” Liz asked for clarification. 

“No one is more attractive than you. I adore everything about you…your smile, your soft, beautiful skin and dazzling blue eyes. The way you talk and laugh, your intelligence, your infuriating stubbornness…” He said. 

They both chuckled about the stubbornness, then he continued, and Liz basked in all the compliments. 

“The sweet little sounds you make in pleasure. The way you feel against me and around me…your scent, and how you taste…” He said. 

Liz blushed furiously. 

“Oh my. Um…” She said. 

Red smirked, then he kissed her. 

“Do you feel more confident now?” He asked, smiling. 

“I do actually.” She said, then she giggled. 

“Good.” He said. 

They kissed again. 

“Speaking of attraction…Red, I feel like I’m addicted to you.” Liz confessed. 

Red raised his eyebrows. 

“I feel magnetized to you. I can’t get enough of you and I can’t be without you. Whenever I get angry with you and try to stay away, I just boomerang right back to you.” She said. 

“…That sounds frustrating.” He said humorously. 

Liz smiled. 

“It can be, yeah!…but what I’m trying to say is that I’m so in love with you, I’m willing to tolerate all the insanity in your life. I want to be with you, and stay with you.” She said. 

“…Thank you, Lizzie. I’ve always been convinced you would give me a second chance at life.” He said. 

Liz smiled again, but her eyes were a bit teary; she kissed Red softly, then they embraced. She snuggled up to him and rested against his shoulder. They both finally felt at peace, and would continue to feel that way, as long as they were going to be together. Jennifer was out of the way, so despite still having to pretend to be Red's daughter with the task force, Liz was free. She felt relieved that part was over with, and that she didn't have to feel like a failure anymore. She could focus on enjoying her relationship with Red.

(To Be Continued...)


	8. Chapter 8

Liz was in the bathroom of the safe house, getting ready for bed. She’d just finished brushing her teeth and she put the toothbrush on the vanity, then she put her lip balm on. She put that on the vanity as well, and as she looked in the mirror, she realized how serious her relationship with Red really was. Liz had brought quite a few clothes and supplies to his safe house and she was planning on staying for an indefinite length of time. She fluffed her hair and checked out her butt in her cute little dark pink shorts with lace trim. She opened the door of the en suite bathroom and stepped into the master bedroom to find Red reclining on the bed in his boxers.

Red looked Lizzie up and down, studying her in the adorably sexy pyjama shorts and tank top. 

“Wow. You look extra beautiful.” He said. 

“Thanks, Red. You look extra handsome and sexy in those silk boxers.” She said, getting on the bed. 

“Oh…They’re very soft. You should feel them.” He said, smirking. 

Liz smiled and surprised Red by taking him up on his suggestion and actually reaching for his boxers; she felt the silk by gently running her hand over his inner thigh.

“Mmm. It’s luxurious.” She said. 

Red was tempted to take things further, but he and Lizzie had to get up early for the next task force briefing. He watched adoringly as Lizzie turned around and backed up against him, hoping to be spooned. He turned the lamp off and embraced her from behind; their bodies were pressed together and although it was cozy and comforting, it was a little distracting. They lay quietly for a while, but Liz was distracted by feeling the bulge in Red’s boxers, right up against her butt. She shifted slightly against him and she blushed as she felt him becoming hard; her pyjama shorts started to get a little damp as she became more aroused. Liz squirmed again, wishing she could feel him between her legs. 

“Red, I can’t sleep like this.” Liz said frustratedly.

“Neither can I. We could sleep in a different position, or…” Red said. 

“Or we could just take care of the problem the way we both want to.” She said, pulling her shorts down. 

“I like that plan.” He said. 

Liz took her shorts off and Red pulled his erection out of his boxers. She moved up in the bed, then she lifted her leg and rested it on Red’s. She moaned as she felt him rub his tip along her moist flesh. 

“Oh god…” She whimpered. 

Red felt Lizzie trying to push herself down onto him, so he entered her, but then she tensed up. She seemed to be in too much of a rush. 

“Just relax…there’s no rush, baby.” He said softly. 

Red rubbed Lizzie’s abdomen and massaged her breasts; he heard her moan quietly. He slid his hand under her tank top and gently rubbed and teased her nipples, causing her to breathe more heavily. Liz felt herself relaxing; her body responded to Red’s sensual touch. She was ready for him to go in further, but he sweetly waited and focused on more foreplay. He continued lightly rubbing her nipples, then he ran his hand down between her legs. He gently pressed and moved his fingertips back and forth over her clit. Red heard Lizzie whimper and he felt her leg subtly trembling; he also felt her body easily accommodating him, so he slowly glided in all the way, still playing with her clit. 

“Red…” Liz said breathily. 

“Mm…you like that, don’t you, sweetheart.” Red said. 

His low voice added to Liz’s pleasure, and she arched her back and moaned softly. 

“Yes.” She said, barely above a whisper. 

Red slowly pulled back and then slid back in, and he breathed heavily. Liz felt his breath on the back of her neck and she squirmed again, very turned on. His fingers moved more quickly over her firm, extremely sensitive clit, and her leg was still quivering from the intense pleasure. Red revelled in Lizzie’s trembling, moaning and whimpering; he felt her almost spasming on him from the stimulation of her clit. It was so exquisite. 

“Red, I’m so close. I want you to come with me.” Liz urged. 

“I will, baby.” Red said. 

He moved in and out slightly faster, but other than that, he was ready whenever she was. He was immensely aroused and extraordinarily gratified from giving Lizzie so much pleasure. Liz felt Red’s fingers press more firmly and quickly on her clit, and a few moments later, she moaned loudly as her orgasm overtook her. Red immediately started coming; hearing her moan like that sent a shiver of pleasure through him and he gushed heavily into her. When the waves of pleasure subsided, they both sighed with satisfaction and Red kissed Lizzie’s shoulder. He stayed inside her for a couple minutes. 

“…If we stay like this, I’m just gonna get turned on again. We need to sleep.” Liz said, then she giggled. 

Red chuckled quietly. 

“Okay sweetheart.” He said, then he gently slipped out of her. 

The sensation almost did turn Liz on again, but she also felt relaxed and extremely satisfied. 

“Do you think you can sleep now?” Liz asked. 

“Yes. You?” Red said. 

“Yep. Night, Red.” She said. 

“Goodnight, Lizzie.” He said. 

They both lay on their backs instead of spooning. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the black site the next morning, Red was briefing the rest of the task force on a new case. 

“Darwin Palmer is an interesting and particularly sleazy character. He runs a couples’ retreat in Hawaii, where people go to work on their relationships and sex lives. I don’t know. Anyway, Palmer scams the couples out of their money, then he has staff members steal their belongings. After that, he has them kidnapped and spirited away in the middle of the night to California, where they’re left stranded.” Red said. 

The agents all looked disgusted and like they lost some faith in humanity. 

“How do we take him down?” Ressler asked. 

They all thought about the options. Cooper stared at the floor for a few moments, then he looked up at Red and Liz. He sighed. 

“I’m sorry to put you in such an awkward position, but I think it would be best if you went undercover as a couple.” Cooper said apologetically. 

Liz said “That’s okay” and Red said “That’s fine” at the same time. They looked at each other and then back to Cooper. 

“We’re fully capable of keeping our true relationship a secret.” Red said. 

Liz reflected on this; there were so many layers to that statement, it was mind boggling. They were lovers pretending to be father and daughter, now ‘pretending’ to be lovers. Cooper studied them for a moment. 

“Very well. As long as you’re okay with it, I have every confidence you can get to the bottom of this…Darwin Palmer fellow’s business.” Cooper said. 

They both nodded. 

“We’ll give you whatever support you need, but you can also take Dembe if you wish.” Cooper added. 

They nodded again. 

“Thank you, Sir.” Liz said. 

It was mid-morning, and Liz decided to grab an apple in the break area. Samar was making tea for Aram and herself. They greeted each other and Liz bit into her apple. 

“I don’t envy you. Your undercover mission is going to be pretty damn awkward.” Samar said, smirking. 

Liz laughed and tried not to choke. She swallowed. 

“Yeah, I guess. But people have always wondered about our relationship. We can use that to our advantage and let them assume we’re a couple.” Liz said, somehow maintaining her cool. 

Liz thought maybe Red’s talent for lying was finally beginning to rub off on her.

“That’s a good point. I think we’ve all wondered about you two before.” Samar said. 

Liz just laughed again, but she was glad when Ressler came over to give her an excuse to get out of this conversation. 

“Aram found the advertisement for Palmer’s retreat. The registration is ongoing, so you can sign up anytime, but the sooner the better, for the sake of the real couples attending it.” Ressler said. 

Liz felt slightly hurt by the way he said “ _real_ couples”, but she snapped herself out of it. 

“Right. Okay.” She said.

Liz went over to Red, who was standing by himself after calling Dembe.

“When are we going to Hawaii?” Liz asked. 

“…Eager to get to the couple's retreat, Lizzie?” Red teased. 

Liz glanced around embarrassedly, but they weren’t within earshot of anyone. 

“Ressler says we should go as soon as possible.” She said. 

“How about today? Is that soon enough?” He asked. 

“Oh. Um...” She said, thinking. 

“Dembe can come with us for security. He’ll stay at a hotel very close by. My jet is ready, so we’ll just need to sign up and pack.” He said. 

“Okay.” She said. 

“Excellent. By the way, Lizzie…the retreat lasts for five days and Palmer only gets rid of the couples when their five days is up, that way there’s nothing suspicious about them being absent. So you’ll need to pack at least five days’ worth.” He said. 

Liz was taken aback. 

“Oh. Wow. Five days in Hawaii. Undercover, sort of…at some sleazy getaway.” Liz said nervously. 

“Actually, the resort itself is magnificent by all accounts, it’s just Palmer that’s sleazy.” Red pointed out. 

“Okay. Well, I’ll go tell Ressler the plan.” She said. 

Red stole a glance at Lizzie’s butt as she walked away and he wondered if she was going to pack a bikini. He went over to Aram at the computer station. 

“Are you signing us up for this nonsense?” Red asked. 

“Yessir. It asks some pretty personal questions…I dunno what you want me to put for them.” Aram said. 

“Oh? Like what?” Red asked. 

“Uh…well…for example…it asks what your typical sexual position is, and why.” Aram said embarrassedly. 

Red stared at the computer screen. 

“Hm. How about you put…missionary, because she loves it…but that she’s starting to come out of her shell and try new things.” Red said. 

Aram felt very uncomfortable, but he did as Red asked. 

“Anything else?” Red asked. 

“Um…it asks what you’d like to get out of the retreat.” Aram said. 

“Oh, that’s easy. Just put ‘more sex’.” Red said. 

Aram knew that Red had an unusual sense of humor, but this was making him feel uneasy.

“…Gosh, this is weird. No offense.” Aram said. 

“Aram, this is very important. We have to make it convincing, otherwise our cover won’t work.” Red said seriously. 

Aram was masterfully persuaded and he ended up feeling like the silly one. 

“Right. Good point. I’ll put what you said.” Aram said. 

“Good chap.” Red said, clapping Aram on the shoulder. 

Liz came over to them. 

“Everything okay?” She asked, noticing Aram’s nervous expression. 

“Of course. We’re all signed up now.” Red said. 

“Okay. Thanks, Aram.” Liz said. 

“No worries…” Aram said; he looked at Liz and almost pitied her for having such a weird father. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Liz was at her apartment, looking through all her clothes and wondering what to pack. She felt like she shouldn’t pack anything too sexy, since Red was supposed to be her father to the FBI agents, but at the same time, they had to make their ‘cover’ convincing to Palmer, so she should probably bring some sexy clothes. Liz sighed as she pondered the bizarre situation. She started grabbing the sexiest clothes she could find so that their cover would look convincing. She also felt a little excited to think what Red’s reaction might be to seeing her in them. Liz finished packing, then there was a knock on the door. She went and looked through the peephole, then she opened the door for Red. 

“All set, sweetheart?” Red asked. 

“Yep. Just finished now.” Liz said. 

“Great. I’ll take that for you.” He said, taking hold of Lizzie’s luggage.

Liz smiled and then she locked the door behind them. They went to the waiting car, which Dembe was driving. Red put the luggage into the trunk and then he and Lizzie sat in the backseat together. 

“Hi Dembe, it’s good to see you.” Liz said. 

“Hello Elizabeth. You too. Have you ever been to Hawaii?” Dembe said. 

“No, actually. I’m looking forward to it, even though it’s a mission.” Liz said. 

“I think you’ll really like it.” Dembe said, then he started up the car. 

They drove quite a long distance to a private hangar and airfield where Red’s jet was kept. However, it was already on the runway with the pilot inside, waiting. Liz was once again impressed by how efficient Red’s associates were; he certainly ran a tight ship. They boarded the jet and Red gestured to Lizzie to pick a seat. She sat down and he joined her. Dembe gave them some privacy and sat at the other end. 

“Well, this mission is going to be interesting.” Red said. 

Liz smiled and chuckled. 

“Yeah. It is.” She said. 

Liz watched Red as he got comfy and crossed his legs. She smiled lightly and looked out the window, then she felt his hand cover hers, despite having separate armrests. She turned back to him. He just smiled at her and gently grasped her hand; she thought it was sweet that he wanted to hold her hand, so she held his in return. Instead of gazing out the window, Liz rested her head on Red’s shoulder. He kissed her on the head and she closed her eyes to rest. 

“Lizzie…” Red said quietly, gently waking her. 

“Mm?” Liz responded, waking up and lifting her head. 

“We’re landing now.” He said. 

“Oh my god. I napped the whole way?!” She said. 

“You must have needed the sleep. Perhaps it’s good we’re going on this little vacation.” He said, smiling. 

Liz chuckled. 

“Yeah, maybe.” She said. 

After landing, Liz, Red and Dembe grabbed their luggage and got off the jet. There was a car waiting for them and Dembe got into the driver’s seat. Liz got into the backseat with Red. She watched the scenery as they drove. 

“Wow, it’s really beautiful here.” Liz said. 

“It is.” Red agreed. 

After a while, they reached Palmer’s retreat. Liz felt nervous, and Red noticed. 

“You see that building in the next lot? That’s the hotel Dembe is staying in. He’s nearly a stone’s throw away. I’m also armed, in case we run into any trouble. However, Palmer and his crew are as nonviolent as they can be. They’ll only use force if it’s absolutely necessary, usually just to smuggle the couples to California.” Red said. 

“That’s…not actually very comforting, Red. But also, what about our cover? What if I screw up? I’m not an expert liar, remember…” Liz asked. 

“You won’t screw up. Anyway, there’s nothing to screw up. We just stay here and pretend we’re ‘working on our relationship’, whatever that means.” He said. 

Liz smirked. 

“Okay.” Liz said. 

“It’ll be fine, sweetheart.” Red said, then he kissed her. 

Liz blushed and glanced over at Dembe, who wasn’t at all surprised. 

“He knows, Lizzie.” Red explained. 

“Oh.” She said. 

“We’ll see you soon, Dembe.” Red said. 

Dembe nodded, then Liz and Red got out and took their luggage. Dembe drove next door to his hotel. Liz walked with Red into a lavish resort and she was impressed with how nice it was. She figured it was kept nice using all the money they stole from clients. A man appeared to greet them, and they both recognized him as Darwin Palmer. He was a distinctive-looking, very thin older man with a pointy goatee. 

“Good day to you. You must be Mr. Ed Holmes and Miss Lizzie Porter.” Palmer said, checking the registration form on his iPad. 

“Indeed. You’re Mr. Palmer, I take it?” Red said. 

They shook hands. 

“I am. I’m delighted to welcome you to my special resort for couples.” Palmer said, eyeing Red’s expensive suit and luggage. 

Palmer was obviously expecting to make a lot of money out of stealing from Red. He gestured for them to follow him, so they did. 

“The first night, we like our couples to settle in and relax…just acclimate organically to the new surroundings. There will be an itinerary in your room so that you can join us whenever you’d like, for any of our sessions, groups and events. There’s no pressure here. Meals can be delivered to your room or you can enjoy our lovely restaurant. This is your room here.” Palmer said.

He opened the door for them and gave them the key cards. Liz went in and looked around at the opulent suite; she looked at Palmer and Red. 

“This is gorgeous.” She said. 

“I’m glad you like it.” Palmer said ingratiatingly as he slightly bowed forward. 

“Well, thanks for everything. We’ll be seeing you around.” Red said, shaking Palmer’s hand again. 

“No trouble at all. I look forward to it.” Palmer said, then he departed. 

Red closed the door and bolted it. 

“What an eccentric man.” Red said. 

Liz tried not to smile at the irony; she’d actually noticed their manners and eloquence were alike. She cleared her throat to distract herself. 

“I’m scared to ask how you know about this guy and his strange enterprise.” Liz said. 

Red chuckled. 

“By reputation only, I assure you. He’s taking exorbitant amounts of money from unsuspecting vulnerable people and funnelling it into his own pocket, along with some other unworthy causes like the sex trade and illegal plastic surgery facilities.” Red said. 

Liz cringed. 

“Yikes. What a sleaze bag.” She said. 

“Exactly. He needs to be stopped.” He said. 

Liz suddenly thought back to yesterday’s meeting with Jennifer and she felt validated. She'd been right to say that Red wasn't a monster. He certainly had his own moral code, but he wasn’t of the same caliber as some of the other criminals she’d come across. She smiled at Red. 

“What?” Red asked, wondering about her smile. 

“I love you, Red.” She said. 

“Oh. I love you too, Lizzie.” He said. 

Liz went over to Red and wrapped her arms around his neck. They embraced and held each other for several long moments, then Red pulled away. 

“I just have to check the room for recording devices.” He said. 

Liz felt grossed out, despite the immaculate condition of the room. She watched Red for a few moments, then she joined in the search.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if a pervert like Palmer has surveillance equipment in the rooms.” He said, checking under the lamp. 

Liz stood on the bed and checked the overhead light, then they went around the entire room and checked everywhere they could think of. There was nothing there, much to their relief. Liz finally noticed the itinerary on the desk, so she read over the sessions offered. Some were okay, but others were way too far beyond Liz’s comfort zone: Effective communication, preparing for marriage, sex during pregnancy, tantric sex, group sex, swingers and beginners mixer. Liz swore under her breath and put the paper down. She turned to Red, who was unpacking a few things. 

“Please tell me we’re not going to any of the sessions.” Liz said, being quite serious. 

“No, sweetheart, there’s no need. We’ll just stay here and relax until it’s time for Palmer and his people to act.” Red said. 

“Oh thank goodness.” She said. 

He was amused. 

They unpacked some of their items, and then they had dinner delivered to their room. They enjoyed the chef-prepared dinner and then they decided to sit on the bed together while they sipped some scotch. They both sat with their backs against the headboard.

“There’s a private hot tub on our patio.” Red pointed out. 

“Yeah, but there’s probably a camera in the filter or something.” Liz said. 

Red laughed. 

“Probably.” He said. 

“I notice there’s no TV.” She said. 

“Yes, they probably think it prevents couples from ‘acclimating organically’ to the surroundings.” He said, quoting Palmer. 

Liz cracked up laughing, which delighted Red. 

“He’s such a weirdo.” She said. 

“He certainly is. It’ll be such a pleasure to take him down.” He said. 

Liz nodded and they took sips from their glasses. 

“Besides, Lizzie…” Red began. 

Liz looked over at him.

“We don’t need a television to entertain ourselves, do we?” He asked flirtatiously. 

Liz smiled. 

“No, we don’t.” She said. 

They looked at each other for a moment. 

“Um, Red…you don’t think the others will find out if we do anything…intimate…here?” She asked nervously. 

“Of course not. How would they? We’re deep cover for this. We only contact them once we’ve nabbed Palmer.” He said. 

“Okay.” She said. 

They went silent for several moments. 

“Did you want to do something…intimate, Lizzie?” Red asked. 

“Later. I have to acclimate organically for a while.” She said. 

They laughed and continued sipping their scotch. 

(To Be Continued…)


	9. Chapter 9

Liz thought about her relationship with Red, and it seemed to be developing into how she wanted it: at ease with each other, close, able to joke around. They were friends again, but also lovers; she was so much happier than when she’d been planning to destroy him. That hadn’t been what she truly wanted to do; _this_ felt right and it made her happy. She and Red finished their scotch and talked for a while, then she rifled through her luggage for something to wear to bed. Liz hadn’t brought any pyjamas, only lingerie, so she pulled out a very skimpy nightie that barely covered anything. Red noticed the deep royal purple garment and he was already picturing Lizzie in it when she turned to him.

“Do you wanna have a shower with me?” Liz asked. 

“I would love to.” Red said, then he gave her a charming smile. 

Liz smiled and went into the bathroom. She took her clothes off and put them in a pile on the floor, then she bent forward to figure out the contraption that controlled the shower. She heard Red come into the bathroom, and she was surprised to see that he was already naked. 

“Oh. Hi…” She said shyly. 

Red smirked. 

“Hello, sweetheart.” He said. 

Liz turned back to the controls and Red gazed lustfully at her from behind as she was bent over. He enjoyed this view, but he wondered if she needed help with the shower. 

“Would you like me to try?” Red asked. 

“No, I’ll figure it out.” Liz said stubbornly. 

Red smiled and shook his head slightly. Liz figured out the strange system; each lever was like a diverter that would make the water do something different. She pulled one and the shower head sprayed a fine mist nearly everywhere. She jumped back for a second and then fumbled for the lever to turn it off. Red chuckled because he found Lizzie adorable. She turned around and gave him an exasperated look for a moment, but then she chuckled, too. 

“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.” Liz said. 

Red nodded. 

“Well, let’s see what the other ones do.” He said. 

Liz let Red do the honors this time, so he pulled the second lever, which started up the normal shower. He got a smug expression on his face and she glared at him. 

“Of course.” She sighed. 

Red suddenly put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her. He heard her make an “mm” sound and he felt her put her hands on his chest. They kissed passionately for several moments, then pulled apart. Liz was a little breathless. 

“What was that for?” She asked. 

“Being adorable. Now let’s have a shower.” He said. 

Liz followed Red into the shower and they washed and rinsed off, all the while gazing at each other and watching the lather drip down their bodies. Red turned the shower off and then they got out to dry off. They brushed their teeth and Liz put on her nightie while Red put some silk boxers on, since Lizzie enjoyed them so much. They eyed one another lustfully and got into bed. They leaned closer so their lips were about to touch when they heard people having sex. They both pulled back and looked at each other. 

“…You’d think they would soundproof the rooms in a place like this.” Liz said. 

Red smirked. 

“Perhaps it’s meant to create some friendly competition…” He said. 

Liz blushed as Red lightly brushed his lips over hers. His hand trailed up her thigh. 

“You can really let loose and be as loud as you want…” He said. 

Liz continued blushing and wondered what Red was planning on doing to her that would make her want to be as loud—or louder—than the people next door. She was eager to find out.

“Okay.” She said, then she kissed him. 

Red then kissed Lizzie’s cheek, jaw and neck. He licked her neck and it gave her goosebumps.

“Red…you can’t leave any marks. Samar will notice.” She said. 

Part of Red wanted to say screw Samar and leave massive hickeys on Lizzie, but he decided to behave himself. 

“I won’t leave any marks, sweetheart.” He said quietly in her ear. 

Liz felt an excited shiver go up her spine as Red talked in her ear. They kissed passionately again and she let her hands wander over his chest, shoulders and arms. She made a soft humming sound as she caressed his biceps. Red heard the sweet sound and he almost smirked; Lizzie was clearly enjoying his biceps. They stopped kissing and gazed into each other’s eyes. 

“Would you like me to pleasure you, Lizzie?” Red asked. 

“Yes.” Liz said breathily. 

“Alright, baby. Lay back and lift that little nightie up.” He said. 

Liz moved the pillows out of the way and got comfy on her back; her nightie was so short, it had already ridden up over hips, exposing her. Red lustfully looked down and gently coaxed Lizzie’s legs open. She let him guide her thighs until her legs were spread very wide. He lay on his front and put his mouth over her sensitive folds, lightly kissing, sucking and licking. Liz moaned as she felt Red sucking and rubbing her clit. 

“Ohh that feels so good.” Liz said. 

Red increased his efforts on her clit while he very gently slipped between her inner lips with the tip of his middle finger. She moaned again and moved against his mouth and finger. He delicately rubbed her opening, revelling in the warm fluid he was eliciting; he continued rubbing, nudging and dipping into the wetness. Liz felt Red touch a very sensitive spot just at the top of her entrance that seemed to stimulate her clit and her opening at the same time. She felt her thighs quiver involuntarily and she breathed heavily. 

“Oh god…” Liz said breathily as she clutched the sheets. 

Red slowed down so that Lizzie wouldn’t come yet. He lightly, slowly licked her clit and gently slid his finger inside her. 

“Mm…Red…” Liz whimpered. 

He moved his finger in and out, brushing that special spot on the way in. He stopped using his tongue and instead used his hand to stroke her clit every time he slid his finger into her. Liz felt Red rubbing every possible pleasurable spot with each stroke and she got more vocal. She moaned loudly and panted. Her thighs quivered again and she was so close to climaxing, then he withdrew his finger. Red gently licked her opening and sucked her inner lips. 

“Red…Please…” Liz begged. 

She was craving release and he seemed intent on continuing the delicious torture. Red was thoroughly enjoying toying with Lizzie and giving her as much pleasure as possible—for as long as possible. However, hearing her pleading with him made him give in. Liz suddenly felt Red stroke that sweet spot again while inserting his finger, then his tongue rapidly moved back and forth over her clit. 

“Oh god oh god oh god” Liz chanted; she couldn’t believe the intensity of the pleasure. 

A few moments later, Liz nearly saw stars behind her eyelids and then she cried out so loudly, it easily rivalled the lovers next door. Red was amused as Lizzie almost closed her legs on him from the extremely powerful orgasm. It lasted for longer than usual and then Liz sighed loudly in astonishment. Red withdrew his finger from her and then he moved up in the bed to lay beside her. He smiled at her awestruck expression. 

“I’ve never experienced anything quite like that before.” Liz said, still catching her breath. 

Red was thrilled. 

“I’m glad you experienced it with me.” He said. 

Liz abruptly grabbed Red and kissed him, then her hand went down to stroke his erection, but he gently took her hand away. She stopped the kiss and looked at him. 

“Let me return the favor.” She said eagerly. 

“I’m not finished with you yet, Lizzie. I’m merely giving you a break.” He said. 

Liz gaped at him; she couldn’t imagine coming out of her satisfied stupor anytime soon, but she was intrigued. Red kissed her again and she pretty much melted into the bed. He delicately moved his tongue in and out in a very suggestive manner and she felt the stirrings of arousal, much to her surprise. He slowly lifted her nightie over her breasts. He then moved down and planted soft kisses on her breasts. Red put his mouth over Lizzie’s nipple and gently rubbed it with his tongue; he felt it get firmer and then he lightly sucked it. He heard her moan quietly. After several moments, he paid the same loving attention to her other nipple while his hand travelled down her abdomen. He softly petted Lizzie between her legs and he heard a tiny whimper as she nudged against his hand. 

“Do you like that, baby?” Red asked. 

“Yes.” Liz said breathily. 

Liz felt Red very gently sucking her nipple as his hand lightly stroked downwards along her entire pubic area; his touch was soft, warm and erotic. She was impressed by his skilled and generous lovemaking, as well as his stamina. He was so patient and romantic, it was astounding. Red kissed and licked Lizzie’s neck while he continued petting between her legs. He ran his finger along her silken folds and he was gratified to feel that she was becoming wet again. He felt her caress his bicep and he smirked slightly as he heard her whimper; he found it cute—and flattering—that she was touching him to turn herself on. 

Red nuzzled Lizzie’s neck and when she tilted her head back, he kissed her throat, which made her moan softly. He brushed his lips upwards, over her chin to her lips and they kissed passionately. Since he was better lined up with her now, Lizzie could reach down and stroke his erection, which is exactly what she did. He smiled against her lips. 

“Lizzie…” Red said quietly. 

“I’m ready. I want to make love.” Liz said, continuing to stroke him through the silk boxers.

Red closed his eyes in pleasure at her touch and he realized he didn’t want to wait any longer, either. 

“Alright, sweetheart. I’d like you to lay on your front and I’ll get on top of you. Do you want to do that?” He said. 

“I’ve never done it that way before.” She said. 

“Would you like to try it?” He said, smiling. 

Liz trusted Red and he knew exactly what she liked, so she nodded eagerly and lay on her front. He pulled down his boxers and looked lustfully at her butt. She parted her legs, arched her back and stuck her butt up for him, then she felt him get on top of her while he supported his weight. Liz was thrilled when she felt Red nudge her wet opening; she’d been waiting to feel him inside her for a while now and she was craving him badly. He entered her and glided all the way in. Liz liked this new position; there was something primal and very sensual about it. Red seemed to be hitting another new, extremely sensitive spot each time he slid inside. Based on the angle and the almost-too-intense sensation, Liz figured Red was hitting her g-spot, although she wasn’t quite sure; she’d never experienced it before. 

Red knew that every woman was different, and he wondered if Lizzie was enjoying it or not. He was about to ask her when she gave him a clue. 

“Oh my god…that feels…mmm.” She purred and moaned. 

He smirked a little bit and he was pleased Lizzie liked the sensations he was giving her. He thrust faster, although he was still being gentle. 

“Does that still feel good, sweetheart?” Red asked. 

Liz smiled at his sweet consideration for her. 

“Yeah.” She said softly. 

Red felt Lizzie squirm slightly underneath him in pleasure and he felt her becoming more slippery; it felt amazing to both of them. 

“Ohh Lizzie…you’re so wet…” He said breathily. 

Liz just whimpered in response; she was getting closer to climaxing. She grasped the sheets, whimpered and panted as she teetered on the edge of another mind-blowing orgasm. She felt Red thrust faster and the intense pleasure increased, which she didn’t think was possible. 

“Oh! Red!” Liz exclaimed as she clawed at the bed.

Red was thrilled that Lizzie was getting very vocal. He felt her trembling and tightening around him, and he kept up the quick pace. 

“You like that?” He asked seductively. 

“Yes! Oh!” She whimpered loudly. 

Red was about to come when Lizzie suddenly tensed up and cried out even louder than before. She writhed under him and kept moaning with the waves of pleasure from her orgasm. Red moaned as he came, gushing and spurting into her with immense pleasure. He was finally getting the release he’d delayed, which made it all the more intense. Their orgasms lasted for several long moments, then they both sighed with relief. Red was careful not to slump onto Lizzie; he gently pulled out and slumped down beside her. Liz smiled and giggled happily as she turned onto her side. She gazed at Red, who was also smiling, then she bit her lip and watched him pull up his silk boxers. 

“Wow. That was amazing.” Liz said, then she giggled again. 

Red chuckled. 

“It was.” He said emphatically. 

Liz groaned exaggeratedly as she slumped onto her back and then she laughed. 

“Ugh. I won’t be able to move for a while.” She said, feigning a complaining tone. 

“Poor baby. Did I wear you out?” He said, smirking. 

“Yes.” She said. 

They both chuckled. Despite her limbs feeling jelly-like, Liz moved closer and snuggled up to Red. 

“I’m gonna sleep on you now.” She said, resting her cheek on his shoulder. 

“Okay, sweetheart.” He said softly. 

Red thought she was exaggerating again, but a short while later, he could tell from her breathing that she did actually fall asleep already. He smiled and closed his eyes; he ended up drifting off to sleep shortly after she did. 

They slept soundly until Liz’s alarm went off on her phone. Liz groaned exhaustedly and she immediately turned the alarm off. She felt Red’s arm wrap around her waist, and she smiled. He gently pulled her into a tight embrace from behind, which made her giggle happily. 

“Morning, Red.” Liz said. 

“Good morning, Lizzie.” Red said. 

“What do we have to do today?” She asked. 

“Nothing, unless you want to attend one of the sessions.” He teased. 

“No, but what if Palmer gets suspicious about us because we’re reclusive?” She said. 

“Hm. Well, he said there’s ‘no pressure’, but perhaps we could go for breakfast in the restaurant.” He said. 

“Okay, that sounds good.” She said. 

Liz was amused that Red still held her tightly, with no sign of letting go. 

“Red…are we gonna get up now?” She said. 

“I suppose.” He said reluctantly. 

After giving Lizzie a squeeze and rubbing her abdomen, he released her. They both got out of bed and then into the shower together. Liz used the correct lever this time and Red smirked. They enjoyed a relaxing shower, then they got out and finished getting ready for the day. Liz checked out Red in his button-down shirt and trousers; she liked when he just wore a shirt. But then he put a suit jacket on so that he could conceal his gun. She smiled wryly as she thought about how typically “Red” that was. They opened their door and stepped out into the hallway at the same time as their noisy neighbours. Liz blushed as she realized she and Red were _their_ noisy neighbours. 

“Good morning.” Red and Liz said to the other couple. 

“Mornin'! You must be fairly new here. This is our third day.” The man said. 

“We just arrived yesterday.” Red said. 

The man and woman both raised their eyebrows. 

“Really? It didn’t sound like you two need any help with your relationship, if last night was anything to go by…” The man said. 

Liz blushed deeper and glanced at Red. 

“Same goes for you.” Red said, smirking. 

“Yeah. The sessions are really helping.” The woman said. 

“Hm.” Red said, feigning interest.

“Well, see you around!” The man said.

“Indeed.” Red said.

Liz was glad when the other couple went off to a session and left her and Red to go to the restaurant. 

“That was awkward.” She said. 

Red chuckled. 

“A little.” He said. 

They sat down and ordered breakfast, and Liz noticed Red was studying her. 

“What?” She asked softly. 

“You’re just so beautiful.” He said. 

“Oh. Thank you.” She said quietly. 

Liz thought about how different everything was from the last time they were in a restaurant together. She’d wanted to get revenge on him and hated being near him. She felt sad to think of it and she reached for his hand, with her eyes full of emotion. 

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Red asked, noticing her sad expression. 

“I’m glad we’re together like this. I love you.” Liz said.

“I love you, too, Lizzie.” He said. 

Red held Lizzie’s hand up and kissed it, then the server came with their dishes. They enjoyed their breakfast together and then when they arrived at the door to their suite, Palmer approached them in the hallway. 

“Ah, I’m glad I caught you. Can we speak briefly in my office, the three of us?” Palmer said. 

Red and Liz became suspicious, but they agreed and followed him a short way to his office near the main entrance. 

“Please, sit.” Palmer said. 

Red sat and calmly crossed his legs but he was prepared to draw his gun and shoot Palmer, or anyone else, if necessary. Liz sat next to Red and she felt nervous as she wondered if their cover had been blown or something. 

“I like to meet with couples from time to time to see how everything is going. Have you settled in okay? Do you have any questions or concerns?” Palmer said. 

“We’re good, thanks. Everything’s great here.” Liz said. 

“We’re enjoying our stay very much.” Red said. 

“I’m pleased to hear that.” Palmer said. 

Red and Liz watched him pull some page up on his iPad and put his glasses on to refer to it. 

“It says on your registration form that your goal for this retreat is, and I quote, ‘more sex’.” Palmer said, then his mouth twisted into a small smile. 

Liz tried to hide her startled response, but she blushed lightly; she wondered if Aram put that in on his own, or if Red had something to do with it.

“We hear that a lot from our couples. How might we help you achieve this goal so that your retreat is successful?” Palmer said. 

“We’ve already made headway on that goal, and we plan to continue working on it by ourselves. But I’m sure the sessions are very helpful. For us, just the…surroundings…are making a world of difference. It’s like magic. I must say, this place is _wonderful._ You, sir, are a genius.” Red said, expertly playing Palmer. 

Liz suppressed a smirk.

“Thank you very much. Well, just let me know if you need anything from us. That concludes our little discussion. Please enjoy the rest of your stay.” Palmer said, then he stood up and shook their hands. 

Red and Liz nodded and left the office. 

When they got back inside their suite, Liz stared at Red. 

“Did Aram put that ‘goal’ on the form, or did you?” She asked. 

“I told him to.” He said. 

“Oh god. No wonder he gave me a weird look.” She said. 

“It’s fine, Lizzie. He was a little…uncomfortable…about it, but it wasn’t a problem. He didn’t suspect anything about us.” He said. 

“…How long do we have to keep this up, Red…pretending to be father and daughter?” She asked. 

“…I’m not sure exactly…That’s the truth, Lizzie.” He said. 

Liz sighed slightly. 

“Okay. Well, we have to be careful around Aram and Samar and everyone. You can’t go around talking about wanting more sex with me.” She said. 

“It was just for our cover… _this_ cover, I mean…for Palmer.” He said. 

Liz suddenly laughed. 

“What?” Red asked. 

“This is kinda confusing.” She said wryly. 

Red smiled. 

“Yes, it is…but it’s worth it.” He said, moving closer to her. 

“…If it means you’re safe and we get to be together, then yes, it is worth it.” She said. 

Red put his hands on Lizzie’s upper arms and they looked at each other. She leaned in and kissed him. He returned her kiss enthusiastically, then they hugged tightly. When they pulled apart, Liz put her hands on Red’s cheeks and kissed him again, then she rested her hands on his chest.

“What would you like to do today, sweetheart?” Red asked. 

“Hm…carry on ‘acclimating organically to the surroundings’ and working on our _goal_?” Liz suggested, smiling. 

“That sounds wonderful.” He said amusedly. 

(To Be Continued…)


	10. Chapter 10

Liz was in the bedroom of their resort suite, tying up the back of her bikini top, when Red walked in.

“Oh wow.” Red said, surveying Lizzie in her skimpy mauve bikini. 

Liz smiled and chuckled. 

“I’m gonna sit on the patio for a little while. Want to join me?” She said. 

“Yes.” He said, trying to focus on her face. 

Liz walked over to Red and she put her hands on his chest as she kissed him. He put his hands on her back and lightly rubbed her bare skin for a few moments, then they stopped kissing. They looked into each other’s eyes and he delicately touched her cheek. 

“How about I give you a massage?” Red suggested. 

Liz smirked. 

“That would be great. I really enjoyed the first massage you gave me, I was just…angry…” She said. 

“I know, sweetheart. Come on.” He said. 

They went out onto their private patio and Liz lay on her front on a lounge chair. It was hot outside, but it was nice to get some sun. Red sat next to Lizzie and he put his hands on her shoulders, which made her moan softly. They were listening to birdsongs and relaxing for a while, then Liz started thinking. Red moved down her back when she suddenly spoke. 

“Red.” She said. 

“What?” He asked, pausing; he thought maybe he did something wrong. 

“The couple next door. They’re on their third day; Palmer and his people will abduct them and dump them in California in two days.” She said. 

“Yes…?” He said. 

“We can’t let that happen.” She said. 

“Lizzie, the plan was for us to wait until they commit the crimes against us, four days from now when our time here is up.” He said. 

“I know, but we can’t just do nothing and let them be robbed and stranded in California.” She said emphatically. 

Red didn’t really see the problem with that, but he knew Lizzie was very determined to do the right thing. He sighed. 

“Alright. We can try to catch Palmer and his crew when they go after the couple next door.” He said. 

“Okay, good. We’ll have to update Cooper and Dembe. Thanks, Red.” She said. 

“You’re welcome.” He said. 

Liz felt Red’s hands move down and he was gentle when he massaged on either side of her spine; he remembered it made her jump last time, and he was sweetly being more gentle. She smiled as she thought about how sweet he was to her. She realized once again how Red would do anything for her; he was sometimes restricted in his ability to do that when it conflicted with his other goals, but he really tried to please her. 

“You’re so sweet.” Liz said. 

“…Thank you.” Red said, feeling a little surprised. 

Red watched Lizzie excitedly turn over onto her back; she smiled at him and took hold of his hands. She put his hands on her breasts, further surprising him. 

“I could use a massage on my front, too.” She said flirtatiously. 

“I see.” He said, intrigued. 

Red very gladly massaged Lizzie’s breasts and watched her close her eyes and sigh in pleasure. Her hands were still on his, encouraging his movements. He felt her erect nipples through the bikini material and he gently rubbed them with his palms as he caressed her. Lizzie moaned and moved his hands down her abdomen as she arched her back and opened her legs; she took his right hand and put it between her legs. 

Liz pressed Red’s hand to her and he automatically began rubbing and caressing her through the bikini bottoms. She whimpered and ground her hips in rhythm with his hand. This felt fantastic, but she wanted more. 

“Red…I want you so bad…can we go into the bedroom?” Liz said breathily. 

Red was pleasantly surprised once again. 

“Of course…” He said. 

Liz eagerly got up from the lounge chair and pulled Red’s hand; she led him back into the suite and into the bedroom. 

“Get naked and lay back on the bed.” Liz instructed. 

Red gave her an amused smirk and started undoing his shirt. He watched Lizzie make quite a show of taking her bikini off as he undressed. He noticed she was lustfully eyeing the front of his boxers and she bit her lip excitedly as he pulled them down. Red stepped out of his boxers and lay back as Lizzie wanted, then he watched her crawl onto the bed. She knelt beside him and leaned in to kiss his neck; she sniffed his cologne and made an “mm” noise. He was amused by how much Lizzie enjoyed his cologne, and he almost chuckled. Red felt her licking and sucking his neck. 

“No marks, Lizzie…” Red reminded her. 

Liz didn’t know it, but she felt the same rebellious streak that Red had felt; she wanted to leave hickeys on him all the more, now that she’d been told not to. She managed to refrain, however, and she kissed along his jaw and then kissed him on the lips. Liz kissed the other side of Red’s neck, then down along his collarbone; she planted kisses on his chest and abdomen, then she slowly ran her tongue up his length from base to tip. She put her lips over him, causing him to moan quietly. Liz gently explored and stroked between his legs as she pleasured him with her mouth. 

“Lizzie…you’re driving me crazy.” Red said breathily. 

Liz whimpered in response as she continued gliding her mouth over his erection. After several more moments, she released him and stroked his very hard member with her hand. She ran her hand over his tip and spread the fluid there to lubricate him. 

“I wanna feel you inside me…” Liz said lustfully. 

“Mm…well, get on…” Red said. 

Red was delighted as Lizzie gave a sexy little giggle and straddled him. He felt her position herself and push down on him. He easily slipped inside her almost all the way and they both moaned. Lizzie nudged downwards, taking him all the way in, then she gently lifted up and back down again. She whimpered, and ran her hands down his chest and abdomen. Red raptly watched Lizzie moving on him and he was still slightly taken aback by how much she wanted and needed him; she was insatiable, but he was, too. They couldn’t get enough of each other. She moved faster and she was whimpering and breathing heavily. Red was already close to coming because of the pleasure Lizzie gave him beforehand. 

“Sweetheart…I’m not going to last very long…” Red said. 

“Good…I want you to come…” Liz said seductively. 

Liz could feel her own pleasure building but she wanted to come with Red, so she leaned back slightly and quickly moved her fingertips back and forth on her clit. She whimpered and felt Red take control of their movements; he held her hips more firmly and quickened the pace. Liz was thrilled to feel the stimulation of her clit along with Red’s rough thrusting. 

“Oh…Red…” Liz panted. 

Red thrust a few more times, then he felt the intense pleasure overwhelm him. He moaned and came heavily inside her. Liz whimpered while she continued moving on Red as he came. She felt their lovemaking becoming very slippery; that sensation, plus the pleasure from rubbing her clit pushed her over the edge into a massive orgasm. Red watched Lizzie whimper and moan as she orgasmed; she squeezed him with her thighs and then stayed still. He could feel her slick walls rhythmically tightening on him; watching her made him want to do it all over again already. She opened her eyes to look at him and she smiled. 

“Mmm…I just can’t get enough of you.” Liz said. 

“I can tell…” Red said amusedly. 

Liz blushed and gave him a coy look, then he continued.

“I’m glad you feel that way, because I can’t get enough of you, either.” He said, rubbing her thighs. 

“I can tell.” She said, smirking. 

Liz leaned forward, putting her hands on either side of his head. She gazed into his captivating green eyes and then she kissed him a few times. She gently got off him and lay down next to him. They were silent, but they were both wishing they’d had this kind of relationship sooner, although the various circumstances had made it impossible for all kinds of reasons. Liz sighed and then she snuggled up to Red in her favorite position, with her cheek on his shoulder. 

“Lizzie…” Red began. 

“Mm?” Liz responded. 

“…This is a ridiculous question to ask at this point, but…you’re on the pill, right?” He said cautiously. 

Liz blushed and Red felt her cheek get warmer on his shoulder. 

“Yes! I wouldn’t just…” She said emphatically. 

“Okay, I was just making sure…” He said. 

Things felt awkward for several moments, but then Liz put her arm around Red and she sighed contentedly. She suddenly thought about how Red said it had been nice to be a father again when he was pretending to be her dad. Her mind seemed to go there of its own volition; she thought about how, despite his being a criminal and having a chaotic life, he’d be an excellent father. He was so loving and protective. Liz blushed again and sat up; she ran her fingers through her hair and then flipped her hair over to one side. 

“Are you alright?” Red asked softly. 

“Yeah, I was just…thinking.” Liz said. 

“What about?” He asked, sitting up. 

“The plan…you should call Dembe to update him. I’ll call Cooper.” She said. 

Red studied Lizzie’s demeanor and she seemed to be lying to him for some reason. 

“Sweetheart…what were you really thinking about? You can tell me.” He said, moving closer. 

Red came up beside her and looked at her face. 

Liz sighed quietly and reluctantly turned to look at him. 

“Red, I can’t tell you…they were very private thoughts…and anyway, it was just me, being silly. Forget it.” She said. 

This just made Red all the more curious, but he decided to drop the issue for now. He rubbed her back lightly. 

“Okay…” He said. 

Liz kissed Red on the cheek. 

“Let’s make our phone calls.” She said, then she got off the bed. 

She dressed in denim shorts and a tank top and Red got dressed his trousers and shirt. They both picked up their phones and Red strolled into the living room area of their suite to talk to Dembe, giving Lizzie the bedroom to talk to Cooper. They gave them the revised plan about intervening when the couple next door would be robbed and abducted. Dembe and Cooper both agreed, then Red and Liz hung up and met each other at the halfway point. They’d both been walking to join the other. Liz chuckled and gave Red a coy look. 

“Cooper agreed.” She said. 

“Dembe did, too.” He said. 

“Good.” She said. 

Red noticed Lizzie still seemed embarrassed or something. 

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” He asked. 

“Yes.” She said earnestly. 

Liz was still embarrassed because she couldn’t help seeing Red in a different light: as good potential father material, but other than that, everything was fine. 

Red nodded and gave her a gentle smile; he was surprised when Lizzie suddenly grasped his shirt and kissed him passionately. 

“Mm…” He responded. 

Red put his hands on Lizzie’s back and then held her waist as they kissed. Her hands touched his cheeks, shoulders and then chest. He wondered what had gotten into her, but whatever it was, it was lovely. They pulled away breathlessly. 

“What was that for?” Red asked. 

“For being sweet.” Liz said. 

Red had no idea where that came from, but he was pleased anyway. Lizzie was obviously smitten with him and she thought he was very "sweet". 

“Oh…I see.” He said. 

Liz smiled and kissed him again, then she walked over to the landline phone. 

“Let’s order lunch.” She said. 

“Okay.” He said, still a little dazed. 

Liz called to order food. Their gourmet meal were delivered to the suite and they had a very nice lunch together. Afterwards, Red stepped out to put the dishes and little trolley in the hallway. He noticed the woman next door doing the same. 

“Oh hello.” He said. 

“Hi.” She said. 

“How’s everything going?” He asked. 

“Good. The sessions are great…but very expensive.” She said. 

Red raised his eyebrows. 

“Don’t tell me you have to pay extra for the sessions…” He said. 

The woman laughed nervously. 

“Yeah, they cost extra.” She said. 

Red felt a little more contempt for Palmer at this moment. 

“I recommend saving the money and just staying in your suite, talking and having as much sex as you want.” Red said. 

The woman blushed lightly and chuckled. 

“Yeah, we might do that from now on.” She said. 

“Well, good luck with that…and have fun.” Red said. 

“Thanks.” She said, then they went into their suites. 

Red went over to Lizzie. 

“Palmer is charging extra for the sessions. That must have been in the fine print. The couple next door has fallen for it and paid extra.” He said. 

“Ugh. Palmer is such a…rotten bastard.” Liz said. 

Red chuckled. 

“Indeed. We can’t get their money back for them, but we can at least prevent them from being completely robbed and left stranded. I agree this is the right thing to do, Lizzie…you’re such a good person.” He said, admiring her. 

Liz smiled. 

“Thanks, Red. My conscience won’t allow me to let something like that happen. It’s kind of annoying, actually…Sometimes I wish I weren’t so conscientious.” She said, then she laughed. 

“Well, it may get in the way sometimes, when you need to do something questionable, but in general, it’s a good thing.” He said. 

Liz nodded. 

They went and sat on the sofa together, and Red studied Lizzie; she looked happy and relaxed, but he was still curious about what her ‘private thoughts’ had been. 

“…Are you sure you can’t tell me what you were thinking about earlier?” Red asked. 

Liz playfully scoffed. 

“You can’t stand it, can you?” She asked, smirking. 

“Not really.” He admitted. 

Liz sighed loudly and ran her hands over her face. 

“Fine. I was thinking that you’d make an excellent father.” She said. 

Red was taken aback, as well as unsure of her exact meaning, given their confusing relationship. 

“…To you…?” He asked. 

“No! To a…child.” She said embarrassedly. 

“Oh…” He said. 

Red was floored and he didn’t really know what to say to that. He also felt emotional and nostalgic. Liz noticed his very serious expression and she thought he looked sad. 

“…I’m sorry, Red, I didn’t mean to upset you.” She said gently. 

“No, it’s okay. It’s…a very nice compliment…thank you, sweetheart.” He said softly. 

Liz gave him a sympathetic smile and then she snuggled up to him. They quietly relaxed against each other, with Red resting his cheek on Lizzie’s head. They were both lost in thought for quite some time, pondering the intricacies of their relationship, which just kept getting deeper, more intense and more complex. The relationship itself was amazing, but it was fraught with twists, turns and obstacles. How were they going to keep their serious relationship a secret as it progressed? 

Red kissed Lizzie on the head and it brought them both out of their reveries. They looked at each other and smiled. 

“I could get used to this…no work, just relaxing and spending time with you.” Liz said. 

“Same here. It’s fantastic.” Red said, smiling. 

Liz giggled, then she felt emotional. Red was puzzled by Lizzie’s misty eyes all of a sudden. 

“What’s the matter, baby?” He asked. 

“You’re making me feel…happy…” She said guiltily. 

Red furrowed his brow slightly; how was that a bad thing? He waited for her to explain. 

“I don’t really deserve to be happy…my life’s a mess. I lost Tom, Agnes is with his mother, I failed Jennifer…” She said. 

“You deserve to be happy, Elizabeth.” Red said firmly. 

Liz just stared down at the floor. 

“Lizzie, look at me.” He said gently. 

She looked up at him. 

“If having a messy life precluded being happy, then no one would ever be happy. Especially me. However, I find that I am happy, because of you…and I’m going to grasp the opportunity and hold onto it very tightly.” He said. 

Liz nodded subtly. 

“Okay...I’ll try to do that, too.” She said quietly. 

Red lightly caressed her cheek, then he gave her a soft kiss. 

Liz was reminded of when they first kissed at his safe house; it had been so delicate and tentative, and so alluring. She felt her mind going blank while he kissed her, just as it had that first time. When Red kissed her, she felt like she didn’t have a care in the world. She quietly hummed her pleasure and put her hand on his cheek, then she deepened the kiss, making it very passionate. After several long moments of heated kissing, Liz felt like she just couldn’t get close enough to Red, so she straddled his lap. 

Red was thrilled to have Lizzie in his lap, and he held her adorable denim-clad butt as he leaned back a little; he pulled her down against him and she whimpered. As they continued kissing, they both became very aroused, despite having made love a short while ago. 

“Lizzie, do you know what you do to me?” Red asked breathily. 

Liz rubbed against his erection. 

“Mmm…yeah…” She purred. 

Liz kissed Red and ground her hips, continuing to rub against him. 

“Red…you make me so wet…” She said quietly. 

Red became rock hard. 

“Oh god you’re so sexy…do you want to make love again, sweetheart?” He said. 

“Yes. Let’s do it here.” She breathed. 

“Alright.” He said eagerly. 

Red watched lustfully as Lizzie got up, undid her little denim shorts and pulled them down. She then pulled down her cute turquoise panties. Lizzie looked at him expectantly, so he undid his trousers and pulled his erection out of his boxers. She very eagerly straddled his lap again and positioned herself; they both moaned as they felt each other’s soft, warm skin. Liz rubbed against the tip of Red’s erection, which coated him with her wetness, then she lowered onto him. Red felt Lizzie press herself onto his tip and he entered her. 

“Ohhh Lizzie…” Red moaned breathily. 

Liz whimpered in response, and she gently moved up and down, gradually taking him deeper inside. She felt Red fill her completely and rub her walls as they began moving steadily together. The pleasure he gave her was dizzying; she was still somewhat amazed at their level of attraction to each other. She craved him so much, it was unnerving. Red ran his hands over Lizzie’s lower back, butt and thighs while she moved up and down in his lap. She held his shoulders, but as their pace quickened, she grasped the back of the sofa for more leverage. 

“Mm…Red…” Liz whimpered. 

Red was enchanted by the way Lizzie said his name in pleasure. He grasped her hips and pulled her down while he thrust into her; the rhythm was perfect as they met each other’s movements. They were both breathing heavily and Liz closed her eyes in concentration. She could feel the pleasure building rapidly. Red heard Lizzie panting and whimpering, and he could feel her tensing up. He moved faster to meet her increasing need and he was very close as well. Liz held Red’s shoulders again because she wanted to touch him instead of the sofa. She caressed his shoulders and then his chest, and it added to her pleasure; he felt strong and warm. She wanted to heighten her pleasure even more by hearing his voice. 

“Call me baby.” Liz said breathlessly. 

“Does this feel good, baby?” Red said. 

Red was taken aback when Lizzie suddenly tensed up on him and cried out with her orgasm. He thrust quickly into her very tight warmth several more times as she climaxed, then he moaned as he gushed deep inside her. When the strong waves of pleasure died down, they stopped moving and caught their breath. Liz kissed Red on his lips, his cheek, then his other cheek. He chuckled quietly from all her affection. 

“Lizzie…what are you doing?” Red asked amusedly. 

“Loving you…” Liz said softly, then she carried on kissing him. 

“I love you too, sweetheart.” He said, between kisses. 

He heard her make a sweet high-pitched sigh of satisfaction, then she gently lifted herself off his lap. She stood in front of him, then she said “oh” and grabbed some tissues from the box on the coffee table. She put them between her legs and she blushed. 

“Sorry, this isn’t very dignified…” Liz said. 

Red smiled and gently shook his head.

“You’re adorable, Lizzie…Besides, sex is hardly ‘dignified’.” He said. 

Liz giggled and she went into the bathroom to throw out the tissues. She came back and put her panties and shorts back on. Red had already done up his trousers again. Liz sat next to him and they looked at each other, smiling and feeling very satisfied. 

“We’re certainly working very hard on our goal.” Red quipped. 

Liz laughed. 

“We sure are! This is turning out to be a very successful retreat.” She said. 

(To Be Continued…)


	11. Chapter 11

Liz and Red lounged around, and then had a late dinner together. They were sipping some sweet dessert wine while they sat on the sofa, watching the sunset through the windows. 

“I wonder how Dembe’s doing.” Liz said. 

“He’s living it up over there. It’s a five star hotel next door.” Red said. 

They both smiled and chuckled. 

“Good.” Liz said. 

“I wish I could show you around Hawaii, but we have to keep a low profile.” Red said. 

“It’s okay. I’m enjoying this…” She replied, looking coy. 

Liz grasped Red’s hand and held it; he looked at her and smiled gently. 

“Are you enjoying our little vacation?” She asked. 

“Yes, Lizzie. Very much.” He said, then he gave her hand a light squeeze. 

They both took sips of wine and looked each other. They put their glasses on the coffee table.

“I never would’ve imagined we’d be doing this.” Liz said. 

Red smiled lightly and nodded, then she continued. 

“Although…I did actually have fantasies about you…a long time ago.” She said. 

“Really?” Red asked, intrigued. 

Liz chuckled. 

“Yeah. I once had a dream about you. You approached me while I was in bed and you asked me what I wanted. I woke up before anything happened. After that dream, I got curious and I pictured what it might be like to have sex with you.” She confessed. 

“When was this?” Red asked. 

“…When I was living in the motel.” She said. 

Red gaped at her. He never would’ve guessed; perhaps Lizzie was better at keeping secrets than he thought. 

“It excited me so much to imagine it…I’d fantasize about you while I played with myself. I had some pretty amazing orgasms, thanks to you…” She said, smirking. 

Red just stared at her in astonishment. 

“Not as amazing as now, of course. You’re even better in person…” She said. 

“…I had no idea.” He said. 

Liz blushed lightly and she smiled at him. 

“Now you know.” She said quietly. 

“I’m sorry.” He said. 

“What for?” She asked. 

“Well, obviously that would’ve made things even more difficult for you later on, when you found out I was supposedly your father.” He said. 

“It did…I felt dirty…but that’s over with. I forgive you, Red.” She said softly. 

Red felt warm and fuzzy inside, and he kissed Lizzie’s hand. 

“…Thank you.” He said earnestly. 

Liz put her hand up to his face and caressed his cheek as she looked into his eyes. She leaned in and kissed him. Red once again felt like he didn’t deserve Lizzie and her kindness, but he was determined to stay with her and make it up to her as best he could. He gently pulled her into a tight embrace and held her for a while. Liz enjoyed being in Red’s arms, but she wondered when he was going to release her.

“Red…” She said, smiling. 

Red realized he should probably let go of her, so he pulled back. He looked down, suddenly lost in thought. 

“I wish my life were simpler…but it just hasn’t turned out that way…” Red said sadly. 

Liz furrowed her brow as she heard the pain in his voice. Red then looked up and put on a smile for her. 

“Despite that, I think that you and I could be happy together, Lizzie. I’d like to try and make you happy…if you stay with me…” He said. 

Liz felt her eyes watering and she swallowed hard with emotion. 

“…You’re already making me happy…and I’m already planning on staying with you.” She said. 

Red adoringly studied Lizzie’s face, and her eyes looked even more blue through the veil of tears. He gently cupped her face in his hands and brushed his lips over hers in the softest of kisses. Liz immediately felt soothed and she didn’t cry. She pressed her lips against his, making the kiss a little firmer, but it was still a gentle and chaste kiss. After several moments, they pulled back and gazed at each other. Red took of Lizzie’s hands and kissed them; she smiled at the romantic gesture. 

“I love you, Lizzie.” Red said. 

“I love you, too, Red.” Liz said. 

They kissed again, then Liz curled up on her side and rested her cheek on Red’s thigh. Red smiled amusedly and petted her head; she sighed and seemed to be dozing off. 

“Sweetheart, do you want to go to bed early?” Red asked. 

“Yeah, I guess…do you mind? I’m exhausted. I think we’re wearing each other out.” Liz said, then she giggled. 

“Of course I don’t mind. I’m tired, too. I’ll join you in a short while.” He said. 

“Okay.” She said. 

Liz kissed Red and then she went into the bedroom; she took all her clothes off and slid tiredly into bed. Red washed their wineglasses and put them on the counter, then he sat on the sofa and idly flipped through a magazine. Afterwards, he still didn’t feel tired enough to sleep, but he missed Lizzie, so he went into the bedroom. He felt slightly uneasy, so he checked on Lizzie and stayed clothed. Red put his gun on the nightstand and reclined on some pillows. He considered waking Lizzie to tell her to get dressed in case they needed to act, but she looked so peaceful; he figured he was probably just being a bit paranoid. 

Red decided to hold his gun, but he turned the lamp off. After a while, he heard the door to their suite open and close quietly. He waited until the intruder stepped into the bedroom, then he turned the lamp on and aimed the gun at the intruder’s head. The intruder was a very large, muscular man who appeared to be unarmed; he was shocked to see a gun pointed at him. Liz woke up and gasped, and she instinctively pulled the sheets up to make sure she was covered. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Red said to Lizzie, without taking his eyes off the man. 

“Well, this is a _little_ unexpected. Why did Palmer tell you to do this tonight?” Red said. 

The man didn’t answer. 

Red got out of bed. 

“Out. Give the lady some privacy. Lizzie, get dressed.” He said. 

The man backed away through the bedroom doorway and Red closed the door.

“Look man, there’s no need for the gun…I’m not armed. Palmer ordered me to come in and take your expensive stuff while you were sleeping.” The man said. 

“Why tonight?” Red asked, puzzled about the change in Palmer’s modus operandi. 

“…He wanted to get some money out of you…you weren’t paying for any sessions.” The man admitted. 

Red scoffed. 

“Palmer is the greediest man I’ve ever come across. Where is he now?” Red said. 

Liz came out of the bedroom, which actually startled the muscleman. Red found the situation somewhat comical. 

“Where is he?” He asked again. 

“In his private apartment…” The man said. 

“In the building?” Red asked. 

“Yes. Please don’t kill him.” The man said. 

Red sighed. 

“Take me to him. Lizzie, call Dembe.” Red said, then he tossed his burner phone to her. 

“I’m coming with you. I’ll call Dembe on the way.” She said. 

“…Fine.” Red said. 

They followed the man out of the suite; Red still had his gun trained on him. 

“Dembe it’s Liz. Change of plan. They tried to rob us. We’re on our way to Palmer’s apartment here in the building.” Liz said. 

“Where’s the apartment? I’m on my way.” Dembe said. 

“Where’s the apartment?” Liz asked the man. 

“…The East wing.” The man said. 

“East wing.” She told Dembe, then they hung up. 

They walked for a few minutes, then the man knocked on Palmer’s door. Palmer answered the door wearing tailored pyjamas and a robe; he couldn’t even see Red and Liz past the bulky man in front of them. 

“What’s wrong?” Palmer asked. 

Red nudged the man with his gun, so the man walked into the apartment. Palmer moved aside and saw Red and Liz. He raised his hands and acted pathetic. 

“Please. Don’t hurt us. If you’re not satisfied with the retreat, I can give you a refund.” He said. 

Red sneered. 

“Be quiet. We’re here to abduct you and take you to an FBI black site.” Red said. 

“What?! Why?!” Palmer asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know why.” Red said. 

“I haven’t done anything wrong. Who are you, anyway?” Palmer said. 

Red gave him a look as if to say ‘nice try’. 

They heard quick footsteps and then Dembe appeared as backup. Liz felt relieved. 

“This is my friend. He’s going to cuff you with cable ties now.” Red said. 

Dembe almost had to be careful as he restrained Palmer, because Palmer was so thin and frail, he could blow on him and he’d fall over. Once Palmer was cuffed with the zip ties, Red gestured to Dembe to take him out the door. 

“What about him?” Liz asked of the large man. 

“Leave him. He’s a harmless idiot.” Red said. 

They left the apartment and went outside to the car that Dembe parked nearby. Dembe got in and held Palmer at gunpoint, so then Liz and Red very quickly went to their suite and grabbed their belongings. They returned to the car and Palmer was behaving himself, so Liz felt relieved again. They got in and Red kept his gun trained on Palmer as Dembe drove them all to the specified black site. 

“You and Dembe can take it from here, Lizzie…” Red said. 

Liz and Dembe knew that Red preferred not to go anywhere near an unfamiliar FBI black site, so they nodded and took Palmer to the gate. Liz showed her ID and explained that they were delivering Darwin Palmer. The agent had been notified by Cooper in advance, so he opened the gate for them. The three followed the agent inside and then Palmer was taken into custody. Liz and Dembe left and got back into the car. Liz sighed. 

“I was _not_ expecting this tonight. It totally freaked me out.” Liz said. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s all over with now.” Red said. 

Liz nodded.

“Thanks for the backup, Dembe.” Liz said as Dembe began driving. 

“No problem, Elizabeth. I’m glad you called me.” Dembe said. 

Red smiled fondly at Dembe’s loyalty.

Liz texted Ressler to give him the update.

They drove to Red’s jet and the pilot was already waiting because Red had texted him while Liz and Dembe took Palmer into the black site. They boarded the jet and put their luggage in the cargo area, then they sat. Dembe gave them privacy again and sat at the other end. Liz took a deep breath and relaxed a little. She looked at Red. 

“How did you know? You were dressed and you had your gun ready.” Liz said, marvelling at him. 

“I didn’t know, I just had a feeling something wasn’t right.” Red said. 

Liz smiled at him because she was grateful for his finely honed instincts but also she realized how they must have served him well over the years. He was quite the interesting character, and she loved him for it. She leaned in and kissed him. 

“Mm.” Red responded. 

Liz pulled back and looked at him. 

“You should get some sleep, Red.” She said. 

“I’m too wound up now.” He said. 

Liz smiled; she got like that sometimes, too. 

“Come on. Let’s put your seat back…” She said, pressing the button. 

Red reluctantly leaned back and watched amusedly as Lizzie unfolded a blanket and put it over him. 

“Lizzie, I don’t need the blanket…” He said halfheartedly. 

“Yes you do. It’s cozy. There…now get some rest.” She said. 

Red smiled, then he sighed and closed his eyes. Liz smiled and watched him relax. A while later, he fell asleep and Liz also got comfy and dozed off. Red woke up before they landed, and he put the blanket away. He thought it was very sweet of Lizzie to do that for him, even though it made him uncomfortable to have someone take care of him. He looked at her; she was still asleep, so he gently shook her upper arm. 

“Lizzie…we’re about to land.” Red said softly. 

“Oh okay.” Liz said, sitting up. 

After landing, they got their luggage and then Dembe kindly drove them to Red’s safe house before going home himself. They thanked him and went indoors. Liz stretched and felt like her internal clock was all messed up. 

“Can we go to bed properly now and just get up whenever?” Liz asked. 

Red chuckled. 

“Sure, sweetheart.” He said. 

They went into the master bedroom and they both got naked this time, and got into bed together. Liz sighed loudly. 

“Ahh this is so nice.” She said. 

Red smiled as Lizzie snuggled up to him. They both drifted off to sleep fairly quickly. 

After a very restful sleep, Liz awoke. She turned onto her back and was in the middle of a big stretch when she suddenly felt Red’s hands on her waist. 

“Oh!” Liz responded, startled. 

Red got on top of her and kissed her. 

“Mmm…” She moaned into the kiss. 

Liz put her legs on either side of him and pulled him closer. She felt that Red was very hard and as they were both naked, it felt exquisite. She immediately became aroused and started rubbing against him. He positioned himself and she then felt him nudge her opening. Red just kept gently nudging Lizzie’s opening and she progressively got more wet; she was breathing heavily with pleasure from the tantalizing sensations. 

“Do you want me inside you, Lizzie?” Red asked seductively. 

“Yes.” Liz whimpered. 

Red kissed her and then he entered her, gently sliding in; he felt her body easily accommodating him, so he went all the way. They both breathed heavily as they started moving together. Liz wrapped her legs around Red and enthusiastically met his thrusts. They were so turned on, their movements were already quick and urgent. Red revelled in Lizzie’s whimpering and the way she was bucking her hips excitedly. 

“Oh…I’m so close!” Liz said intensely. 

Red moaned lustfully and thrust faster, and he felt how slippery she was. He struggled to hold back but he managed to bring Lizzie to her orgasm first. She moaned loudly and held him tightly to her. He moaned and started coming, spilling heavily into her. Liz was enraptured as Red came; she kept writhing in pleasure beneath him. When their orgasms finally dissipated, they caught their breath and looked at each other. Liz giggled happily, then Red gently pulled out and lay beside Lizzie. 

Liz’s phone suddenly rang, startling her. She grabbed it and saw that it was Ressler. She answered. 

“Ressler?” She said, somewhat breathlessly. 

“…Oh, are you busy?” Ressler asked, noting her breathlessness. 

“Nope!” She said. 

“Okay, well, Cooper wondered if you and Red could come in shortly for a debriefing.” Ressler said. 

Liz gave Red a panicked look. 

“Come in? Um, yeah…?” She said, sitting up and staring at Red. 

Red nodded to indicate it was okay. 

“Uh…we’ll be there shortly.” She said. 

“Okay, great. See you then.” Ressler said, then they hung up. 

Liz swore under her breath and got out of bed. 

“Let’s have a shower together.” She said. 

Red smirked. 

“It’ll save time.” Liz said, blushing. 

Liz and Red showered, got dressed and each had a muffin, then they went to the black site. They walked into the main area and the others were waiting for them. 

“How was it?” Aram asked. 

“Nice actually, other than Palmer. He was such a creep.” Liz said. 

“So, you said that Palmer’s reason for acting sooner than usual was that you weren’t paying for or attending any of the sessions?” Cooper asked. 

“Yeah.” She said. 

“I can understand why you didn’t want to attend them; they would’ve been extremely awkward. But…was your cover blown?” Cooper said. 

“No. We were just a random couple who preferred to stay in the suite, and then I was a crazy guy with a gun and Elizabeth was an unnamed FBI agent.” Red explained. 

“Alright. Good. I contacted the local law enforcement there and had the robber arrested. We got a copy of his statement…it’s a little…delicate. Would you like to discuss it in my office?” Cooper asked Liz. 

“What? No…why?” She said. 

Cooper shifted as he stood and was very uncomfortable. 

“…Well, it says that he went into your suite, into the bedroom and that you were naked…he said Reddington was fully clothed and pointed a gun at him, as if he expected the robbery.” Cooper said. 

Liz blushed furiously and laughed nervously. 

“I wasn’t _naked_. I was wearing a strapless top and shorts.” She lied, glancing around embarrassedly. 

She now understood why Cooper asked if they wanted to discuss it privately. 

“Red felt like something was amiss, so we were kind of prepared…he was on watch in case I fell asleep.” Liz said, embellishing the truth. 

“Okay. So that’s an accurate account of what happened? You didn’t know ahead of time about the robbery?” Cooper asked, eyeing Red suspiciously. 

“It’s accurate, except for the naked part.” Red said, backing up Lizzie’s lie. 

Liz continued blushing and she stared at the floor. 

“…Well, you managed to protect the couples staying there and put a stop to Palmer. Excellent work. Please thank Dembe for his help, too.” Cooper said. 

Red nodded and glanced at Lizzie, who was very embarrassed. He wished they could be open about their true relationship. 

“Sorry to drag you in for this debriefing, but it’s always the most secure way to go about it. Now you can each go home and relax.” Cooper said. 

Liz and Red nodded and they swiftly left together to get away from potential questions and weird looks. Cooper had said they could ‘each’ go home, as in separately, but Liz and Red went back to his safe house together. Once indoors, Liz turned to Red and gave him a worried look. 

“I didn’t know they’d get the guy’s statement…I should’ve worn pyjamas or something.” She said anxiously. 

Red smiled warmly and put his hands on her shoulders. 

“It’s okay, Lizzie. You handled it very well.” He said soothingly. 

“Okay. I guess we should be more careful, in case someone catches us like that again.” She said. 

“No. You’re not going to start wearing pyjamas all the time just because you’re worried about potential robbers making police statements.” He said. 

Liz realized how silly she was being and she laughed. She sighed and felt more relaxed. 

“Fine. You’re right, it’s silly.” She said. 

“Come on, let’s go have some coffee.” He said. 

They went into the kitchen and made coffee. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It had been nearly six weeks since Liz and Red had come back from Hawaii, and she’d been staying at his safe house, having practically moved in. It was early in the morning when Liz awoke; Red was in the kitchen, making breakfast. Liz smelled the coffee and she felt like she was going to throw up, so she quickly went into the en suite bathroom and hovered over the toilet. Her nausea calmed down a bit, but her anxiety was rising. She breathed heavily and her palms and forehead broke out in sweat. 

“Oh god…” Liz said under her breath. 

Her stomach churned with nausea but also nervousness. She shakily opened the door and went out into the kitchen. Red turned to Lizzie and he was startled by her appearance; she looked pale, sweaty and scared. 

“Are you okay?!” Red asked, going over to her. 

“I…think I’m pregnant.” Liz said very quietly. 

Red was floored for a few moments. He put his arms around her. 

“Okay, we’ll get a test, sweetheart.” He said. 

Red was somehow managing to remain calm for Lizzie’s sake. She was clearly anxious and she didn’t need him freaking out, too. 

“I’ve been on the pill!” Liz said, distraught. 

“I know...well, it can happen…” Red said. 

“Yeah, but…ugh!” Liz said frustratedly. 

“Come have a bit of toast or something.” He said. 

“No. I have to go buy the test. Now.” She said anxiously. 

“You have to eat.” He said. 

“No. I need to find out, Red.” She said, backing out of his embrace. 

Red was taken aback as Lizzie grabbed her keys and went to her car wearing a t-shirt with no bra, some plaid sleep pants and flip flops. He anxiously awaited her return from the drug store, and she finally came back and went straight into the bathroom to do the test. Red continued his anxious waiting. Lizzie came out of the bathroom with a dazed look on her face. 

“I’m pregnant…six weeks…” Liz said, in shock.

Red felt his heart skip a beat—or two—then he went over to her. He studied her face and kissed her on the forehead. He suddenly felt very emotional and he thought this was actually fantastic news, despite the nerve-wracking nature of it. 

“That’s wonderful, Lizzie…” Red said softly. 

Liz sobbed loudly and put her face into his chest. 

Red put his hands on her back and he felt bad; Lizzie didn’t seem to feel the same about it. He felt a little like apologizing, but then she spoke. 

“How am I gonna do this, Red? I can’t even take care of Agnes!” Liz sobbed. 

“You won’t be doing it alone, Elizabeth…but…I’ll support you in whatever you decide to do.” He said gently. 

Liz looked up suddenly. 

“I wanna have the baby with you.” She clarified. 

Red was pleasantly surprised. 

“I just don’t know what to do about Agnes, my job and my colleagues…and what are _you_ going to do?” She said. 

“You have time to think about everything, sweetheart. And I will just do what I always do…take care of you.” He said. 

Liz gave him a small smile. 

“Can we really do this?” She asked. 

“Yes.” He said earnestly. 

Red looked into Lizzie’s blue eyes as they teared up again; he put his hands on her cheeks and gave her a soft kiss. They looked at each other. 

“We have to go to the black site soon. I’m a mess.” Liz said, then she sniffled and glanced around, trying to decide what to do next.

“One thing at a time, sweetheart. Have a tiny piece of toast and some orange juice.” Red said, guiding her to the table. 

Red prepared the small breakfast for Lizzie and she bravely ate it. She managed to not be sick and she felt a little better as she showered. Once Liz was ready, she drove them to the black site. 

They went into the main area and her colleagues greeted them. They noticed Liz’s eyes looked slightly puffy. 

“You okay?” Ressler asked. 

“…Yeah…thanks…” Liz said shyly. 

Red told the task force about their next target, but Liz couldn’t concentrate on anything; all she could think about was being pregnant. She got anxious again, so that plus her nausea made her feel terrible. She felt slightly shaky and faint, and she had to escape to the bathroom. Liz went into the stall and began throwing up. She heard the bathroom door open and she was thoroughly embarrassed, but she couldn’t stop herself from continuing to be sick into the toilet. When she finished, she flushed the toilet and came out to find Samar standing near the sink, looking concerned. 

“Liz, you should go home if you’re this sick.” Samar said. 

Liz tried to ignore her, as she didn’t know what to say; she washed her hands and then she grabbed some paper towels, but Samar was still there, watching her. 

“…I’m not sick…I’m six weeks pregnant…” Liz confided. 

“When you were in Hawaii?!” Samar asked. 

Liz didn’t know Samar was a mathematical genius; she cringed inwardly and didn’t say anything. 

“How did you manage that?” Samar asked. 

Liz still didn’t say anything.

“Oh Liz…I’m so sorry.” Samar said, then she put her hand over her mouth. 

It dawned on Samar that Red might be the father, which made her extremely uncomfortable, not to mention a little sick. She thought that either Red was perverse and he took advantage of Liz, or that their deep connection had been misinterpreted and they’d entered into an incestuous relationship. 

“Huh? Why?” Liz asked. 

“Honey…if you need to talk to someone, we have really good professionals and it’ll be covered by your benefits. There are also support groups…” Samar said. 

Liz blushed and took a deep breath. 

“Samar…Red’s not…” Liz began. 

“He’s not the father?” Samar asked. 

“No, he _is_ the father…” Liz said. 

“Oh god.” Samar said. 

Liz sighed with slight frustration.

“He’s not… _my_ father.” Liz said.

Samar gaped at her. 

There was a long pause. 

“What?!” Samar asked. 

“It’s a long story, and we can’t tell you everything, but…he’s not really my father.” Liz said. 

“…Why…?” Samar began, but she realized it was just beyond her. 

“I know, it’s confusing and weird.” Liz said. 

“Yeah…” Samar said. 

“Please don’t tell anyone else yet. I’ll have to ask Red about what to say, and when.” Liz said. 

“Okay…Um, sorry about…I assumed he was your dad.” Samar said. 

“It’s okay. I thought he was too. I mean _before_! I found out a few months ago.” Liz said, blushing again. 

“Wow, okay. Well, I won’t say anything. It’s up to you and Red to explain things.” Samar said with a slight smirk. 

“Thanks, Samar.” Liz said. 

Samar nodded. 

“Shall we?” Samar said, gesturing to the bathroom door. 

“Yep.” Liz said. 

They rejoined the others and listened to the discussion about how to take down a network of very malicious hackers; Aram was thrilled. Red eyed Lizzie and Samar, wondering how much Samar knew. After the meeting, Liz and Red got into the elevator together. 

“I had to tell her you’re not my father.” Liz said nervously. 

Red sighed. 

“I had to, Red. She caught me being sick and I told her I was pregnant; she figured out I’d conceived in Hawaii and it all got very awkward. Sorry.” She said. 

“…It’s alright. I understand.” He said. 

Red thought for a while and they were quiet until they reached Liz’s car. 

“We can tell the task force, but it can’t go any further. Okay?” Red said. 

Liz exhaled loudly in relief, then she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged and kissed Red passionately in the parking lot. When they pulled apart, they realized Ressler was standing by his car, gaping at them. 

“It’s okay…he’s not really my father. It’s a cover. We’re in a serious relationship and we’re gonna have a baby together.” Liz said. 

Ressler was beyond shocked. 

“Uh…” He said. 

“You can tell the other task force members, but no one else.” Liz said. 

“…O-kaaaaay…?” Ressler said vaguely. 

“Thanks, Ressler.” Liz said. 

She and Red got in her car. As they drove, Red recalled the look on Ressler’s face and it was priceless; he chuckled quietly. Liz looked at him in the rearview mirror. 

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you.” She said, smirking. 

“A little.” He said. 

They arrived back at the safe house and went inside together. 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Epilogue ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

The rest of Liz’s pregnancy went smoothly and Red was the perfect expectant dad and partner, other than when she got annoyed with him for fussing over her too much. Liz gave birth at home with a midwife and she and Red welcomed a baby girl, who they named Alice. Red was overjoyed to be a dad again, especially because he was raising a child with his beloved Lizzie. He never imagined this would happen, but it was beautiful. When Alice was a few months old, Liz took her to introduce her to Tom’s mom and Agnes. She asked Agnes if she wanted to come live with them, but Agnes wanted to stay with her grandma. Liz was sad, but she understood that she’d grown accustomed—and attached—to her grandma. Liz, Alice, and Red—although he was somewhat reluctant—visited them frequently to stay in touch. Red doted on Alice, and sometimes Liz had to remind him not to spoil her too much. They continued working with the task force in order to finish the blacklist. Once it was completed, the task force was dissolved and Red was granted immunity. The task force members all kept in touch because they’d grown close. Red stayed best friends with Dembe, and Alice had regular playdates with Dembe’s granddaughter. Red had managed to forge a normal, happy life at last. He and Liz felt like they were soulmates who had just taken a while to find each other.  
 ****


End file.
